While We're Young: Endless Summer
by Dizzie HamHam Writer
Summary: The teenage AU sequel to "While We're Young." It's been four years since Nick and Judy met each other. It's the summertime and now everyone is enjoying some time off at school. Remembering a promise long ago, the young fox and the rabbit feel ready to try and make things between them work.
1. Remembering a Promise: Part 1

**Hello once again, my fellow readers. Are you all ready for this? It's finally time for the epic sequel to my hit fanfic "While We're Young". Ladies and Gentleman, I give you, the Teenagers Arc, While We're Young: Endless Summer. I bet you guys are already really excited for this story to begin. But since this is the first chapter and the author's note, I have to explain some things first. You know, so you get the feels about what's going on.**

 **Now first off, if you didn't read the original story, do that first. Seriously, you won't get anything if you don't read that one first. It's 37 chapters and 2 bonus chapters of pure goodness. Now clearly, by the title, you can guess that this whole arc is gonna take place during the Summer. This is also gonna be focused on the young romance between Nick and Judy. Yay, romance! There may be quite a few changes, but it will also have elements similar to the last arc. There will be cute moments, there will be funny moments, there will be tension and drama, annnnnd there will be a few familiar faces from the last story.**

 **Okay, I won't spoil anything else for you. You all are just gonna have to start reading and find out for yourself. So without further adieu, I give you... While We're Young: Endless Summer. Enjoy.**

* * *

Summertime. If there are two things about it, it's this. The warmth of the sun and Summer vacation. All the kids who had to deal with schoolwork were free for 2 to 3 months. This included all the ones that lived in the big city, Zootopia.

Zootopia. One of the biggest cities in the world. The city where anyone can be anything. The city was the same as always. Mammals, both prey and predators, going here and there and everywhere. Always busy. Always in a rush. Nothing different. Well, some things were different.

In a house in Downtown Zootopia was the home of a happy family of foxes known as the Wildes. The building also used to be where the tailor shop, Wilde and Son, was. Expect now, the shop was no longer part of the building. Now it was just a regular home. But still the home of the foxes. Including a 13-year-old boy fox, who was preparing for a special day.

In the boy's room were a bunch of comics, figurines of actions heroes, and a bunch of picture frames with photos of two kits happy together. A boy fox and a girl bunny. The two seem to have a good friendship to have so many pictures. The fox then walked to his radio, put a CD in it, and it played a rock song. The song was from the famous punk-rock group, _Green Hay - Waiting_. **(I think you all know the actual group's name.)**

As the song played, the boy fixed himself up. The boy brushed his tail, put on a green and white short-sleeve flannel shirt over a white t-shirt with an orange paw on it. He also had some blue jeans on. The only thing he needed to do left was brushing his head a bit. A bit of his fur stuck out in the front, but that was the style he liked at his age. After looking at himself in the mirror, he liked what he saw and gave out a big and happy grin.

"Alright, Nicky! Today's the big day." The fox said to his reflection. "You got this."

This fox boy was infamous Nick Wilde. Still young, as well as very smart, cunning, sly at times, and trustworthy. Those traits were multiplied by his age. Nick has also got a bit taller too. He was now taller than an average rabbit.

It's been four years since the time Nick first met Judy. Ever since meeting her, Nick's life has been nothing but positive. Today was a very important day for Nick. As he brushes off his shirt, he walked out his room.

Downstairs in the dining room was Nick's mother, Francine Wilde. She also went by Frankie to her friends and husband. With her were two little baby foxes. A baby tod and a baby vixen. The boy baby had dark orange fur and was in a blue onesie with stars on it, while the girl baby had light orange fur and was wearing a pink onesie with white flowers on it. The two were sitting in boosters chairs as Frankie was trying to feed them.

"Come on Toddy, here comes the airplane." Frankie said as before imitating an airplane in hopes that the baby boy would eat the baby food.

The baby tod wasn't opening his mouth. Clearly, he wasn't willing to eat it.

"*sigh* You're more difficult than your sister, Vicky." Frankie stated.

At that moment, Nick came into the room.

"Hey, mom." Nick said greeting his mother.

"Oh look, you two. Your big brother is here." Frankie said to the two babies.

"Bubba! Bubba!" The two babies said excitedly as they reached out to Nick.

"Hey, you two." Nick said waving at the two babies.

"Nick, maybe you can get Todd to eat." Frankie asked Nick.

"You were doing the airplane, mom. Vicky's favorite is the airplane while Toddy's favorite is the choo-choo train." Nick stated. Nick then takes the spoon from his mom and tries to feed Todd himself. "Okay, Toddy. Here's come the train riding all the way to flavor station. Toot-Toot!" Nick said imitating a train.

This time, Todd actually opened his mouth and at the food this time.

"Good boy." Nick said with a smile and patting Todd on the head.

"You're sure a good big brother, Nicky." Frankie said with a smile.

"What did you expect?" Nick said proudly.

If one hasn't figured it out yet, these two baby foxes happen to be Nick's baby brother and baby sister. The twins, Todrick And Victoria Wilde. To get a better understanding of them and what the heck happened, let's go back to about 2 years ago.

One night, sleep in their bed, was John, Nick's dad, and Frankie. Well, Frankie was sleeping. John was wide awake, looking up at the ceiling. He then looked at his wife, who had her backed turn.

"Say... Frankie?" John said hoping that she would wake up.

"Ugghhhh..." Frankie said in discontent. "Whatever it is, it can wait until morning."

"Actually... this one can't." John said. "You don't have to say much. Just listen." John then started to sound really sincere. "We'll be opening up the new shop in a few months. Pretty soon, we won't need the old one anymore. I'm also thinking about changing the name from _Wilde and Son's Suitopia_ to _Wilde and Family's Suitopia_."

"Uh huh..." Frankie said as if she wasn't listening.

"Also, when the new store opens, it means that there will be a lot more room for the house. Since we are gonna be able to expand our household, I also thought it would be a good time to... expand our family as well." John stated.

That last sentence made Frankie open her eyes up and was more awake now. She then turned around to face John.

"Johnny... what are you saying?" Frankie asked her husband.

"I'm saying that... maybe it's time we try to have another baby." John said as he holds one of Frankie's paws.

"Do you really mean that?" Frankie asked as she gets up.

"I do." John answered with a smile. "I know we stopped for a while, but I think it would be great to have another little one around. As well as let Nick have a little brother or sister. That is... if it's okay with you?"

"Oh, Johnathan. I'm so happy to hear you say that." Frankie said smiling.

This was the moment that John and Frankie decided to have another kid. Or at least that what it seemed like.

"Soooooo... shall we get started?" John asked with a grin as he gets closer to his wife. But then, Frankie slightly pushed him away for some reason.

"Heh heh..." Frankie laughed as she started to have an awkward smile on her face. "Uhhhhh... Johnny?"

"Yes?" John said as he raised an eyebrow.

"There's uhhh... something you should know." Frankie said to John.

"Frankie, the last time you acted like this was when you..." John said. He then froze when he figured out why Frankie was acting weird. "No?"

"A few weeks ago, I was feeling a bit sick. So... I got a little... _something_ and I found out why." Frankie told her.

"Frankie, what are telling me?" John asked as his eyes widened.

Frankie then went to the drawer by her side of the bed and started digging for something.

"I took **5** of these. They all said the same thing." Frankie said as she handed John something white. A pregnancy test.

"Is this an..." John asked.

"Uh huh." Frankie said.

John looked at the pregnancy test and saw it had a plus sign on it.

"This says positive." John said as he held the test.

"Surprise! Heh heh..." Frankie said awkwardly smiling.

Frankie was already pregnant. She just waited until now to tell John. Yet John didn't seem shocked. He seemed happy. Very happy.

"Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh!" John said happily. He then hugged Frankie tightly. "We're gonna have another baby?"

"We're gonna have another baby." Frankie said happily trying not to cry.

So with that, the Wildes were gonna have another child. To make sure that everyone was right with Frankie, her and John went to the hospital a week later for a check-up. The doctor was a male Zebra in a doctor's coat. As John and Frankie sat in chairs, the doctor told them what they needed to know.

"So doc, is everything okay with Frankie and the baby?" John asked the doctor.

"Do you know if we are having a boy or a girl?" Frankie asked.

"Well... it's too early to tell and give you a proper answer." The doctor said. "But we do know that they are nice and healthy. But we should still do some regular check-ups."

"Yeah. That seems fa..." John said before stopping for a second. Something that the doctor said caught his attention. The same for Frankie. "I'm sorry. Did you say ' _they'_?"

The doctor realized what he said and decided to be clearer.

"Uhhh... you see... when we were taking a quick scan of your wife's stomach, we found two separate heartbeats." The doctor stated.

Hearing that, John and Frankie then quickly looked at each other. John then looked back at the doctor.

"Two heartbeats? Our baby's gonna have two hearts?" John asked before chuckling awkwardly.

"Yes. And two heads, two sets of eyes, and two tails." The doctor said with a straight face. "Cause you're having twins."

The news was a bit of a shock for John and Frankie. Frankie covered her mouth in awe while John looked like he was struck by a lightning bolt.

"TWINS?!" John and Frankie said surprised.

"Uh huh." The doctor said. "No doubt about it."

"Oh my gosh! Twins!" Frankie said still sounding surprised, but also happy.

"T... t... twins?!" John said sounding a bit ill. "H... H... HOW?!"

"If you need to know how then I think someone didn't do well in Biology class." The doctor said to John.

John took the idea of having twins to be quite a shock.

"No no. I mean, HOW are we having twins? There rarely has ever been twins in any of our families." John stated.

"Actually, it's common for foxes to have litters as big as six to eight pups. So two is quite small in comparison." The doctor stated.

"ONE is small." John stated. "One is what we had the first time. Even with both our parents having more than one kid, we were still all born on different days."

"Johnny, take it easy." Frankie said trying to calm his husband down.

"Easy? We're gonna be having TWO babies. At... the... same... time." John said firmly.

"Jeez! If you are acting like this from only two babies, how would you react if I told you that we may have found **three** heartbeats and you are actually having triplets?" The doctor asked.

"WHAT?!" John and Frankie shouted out. Twins were one thing, but triplets?

"Kidding." The doctor said smiling. "Just a little doctor humor. Haha!"

John and Frankie didn't like the doctor's attempt at a joke. In fact, both foxes gave the doctor an angry glare.

"Ahem." The doctor said clearing his throat and looking awkward. "So... two babies foxes. Just two."

So that was when John and Frankie found out they were having twins. Now for the next thing. They have to tell Nick the news. But how would Nick take the news? Up until this moment, Nick has been their only child. Would Nick be okay with having two new siblings?

A few days later, Nick was playing video games in the living room. He was pretty focused on his game as he mashed the buttons on the controller. Behind him came John and Frankie.

"Nick, champ, there's something that your mom and I need to tell you." John said sounding a bit nervous.

"What is it?" Nick said not sounding too interested and still being focused on his game.

"Umm... to be frank, I'm pregnant." Frankie said looking worried.

Nick then immediately dropped his controller and turned his parents with wide eyes.

"WHAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Nick shouted out.

"Y... yes," Frankie said.

Nick quickly up and hugged his parents which was a bit of a surprise for the both of them.

"I'm gonna be a big brother. This is the best news ever!" Nick said happily. He then let go of his parents. "Oh my gosh! I gotta go tell everyone. Wait! I think I should wait till we all get together. I need to go."

Nick then dashed out leaving his parents pretty surprised how he took the news.

"Well... Nick seems happy about the news." Frankie said feeling relieved.

A few days later, Nick decided to call all his friends over to his basement. Judy, Cole, Conner Benji, Finnick, Falisha, Flash, Gazelle, Ronnie, Audran, Mervin, Gideon, Travis, Sharla, Gareth, Kyle, Bobby, Libby, and Darson. They were all curious what Nick was so excited about.

"Thank you all for coming. Guys, I have BIG news." Nick said excitedly.

"Nick, what is it that you wanted to tell us?" Judy asked.

"Whatever it is, it better an 8 or higher." Finnick said with his arm's crossed.

Nick took a deep breath before giving them the news. "I'm gonna be a big brother."

For a whole second, everyone else in the room froze. Then they all got up and shouted: "OH MY GOD!" They all then rushed to Nick's side to hug him and pat him on the back.

"That's a 10!" Finnick said.

"That's definitely a 10." Benji added.

"This is great news." Judy said happily.

"Well... say goodbye to the luxuries of being an only child." Mervin said to Nick.

"So, do you know if your mom is having a boy or a girl?" Falisha asked.

"It could be a girl... or a boy... or both." Nick said.

"Huh?" The others said a bit confused.

"According to mom, she's having twins." Nick stated.

"TWINS?!" Cole and Conner shouted out. "JUST LIKE US!"

"The points have been doubled." Finnick said with a smile. "That's like a 20."

"Oh my gosh! This is such great news, Nick." Judy said.

"Yeah. But I'm a bit nervous about it. I don't know anything about being a big brother." Nick said as he looked a bit nervous.

"Don't worry, Nick." Judy said as she places her paw on Nick's back. "Having a few little brothers and sisters..."

"Few?" Everyone else said raising their eyebrows.

"Okay, a LOT of little brothers and sisters..." Judy admitted sounding a bit annoyed. Her annoyance quickly went away. "... I can help you with all I know."

"Yeah. Also, unluck me, you get the joy of being the oldest kid." Mervin stated. "A joy I will never get to experience."

"Wait. Don't you have a younger sister?" Falisha asked.

"Yeah... but I still have five older brothers." Mervin said before crossing his arms. "No one here knows what it's like to have their older siblings bag on them all day."

"Wanna bet?" Cole and Conner said with their arms crossed. They knew all too well about having older siblings bag on them like Mervin.

"All things aside, we can't wait to see the new babies." Sharla said joyfully.

"Me too." Nick said smiling.

As so, time passed. As Judy helps Nick prepared for big brotherhood, his mother was going through... pregnancy stuff. For example, 4 months in, when Frankie's pregnancy was noticeable, she started to have... anger issue. Poor John was dealing with most of it.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT, JOHNATHAN WILDE!" Frankie shouted out angrily as she pointed at her pregnant belly. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!"

"Now now, Frankie." John said trying to calm his wife down.

"Don't ' _Now now, Frankie_.' me." Frankie said firmly and angrily. "You just HAD to be one of those _good_ husbands instead of the has-beens that leave when the going gets tough."

"Uhhhh... you're welcome?" John said not knowing to take that as a compliment or not.

"If you didn't just agree for us to have more kids, I WOULDN'T LOOK LIKE THIS!" Frankie said still angrily. "I blame you for this, Johnathan. I. Blame. You."

Frankie then left the room still looking very steamed. As she left, Nick came into the room.

"Uhhh... is mom okay?" Nick asked concerned about the yelling.

"Your mother's fine. It's just that... the whole pregnancy thing tends to bring the... worst of her." John said to Nick.

"Was she like this when she was carrying me?" Nick asked.

"Yes. But you got to remember, she carrying two babies. So... it's twice the mood swings." John told him.

"Ohhhhhhh." Nick said understanding.

Some days Frankie was really angry. Other days, she was... really sad. One time, Frankie was weeping quite a bit as she sat on the couch with John.

"WAAAAAAAAHHHH! You think I'm ugly like this, don't you?" Frankie asked weeping.

"No, you're not. You're beautiful." John said to her.

"I FEEL LIKE AN ELEPHANT!" Frankie shouted out.

"You're not. You just feel like you're carrying one." John said joking a bit. He regretted saying that right away.

"WAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Frankie cried. "SO YOU THINK I'M FAT!?"

"WHAT? NO!" John said as he frantically flair his arms around. "I don't think that at all."

"BUT IT'S TRUE, ISN'T IT?" Frankie shouted out.

Poor John tried his best to cope with his wife. But it was days like this, that really tested his will. As John continued to hear the cries of his wife, he couldn't help but have this one thought in mind.

"Babies, I know you still have a few months, but please hurry. Daddy can only handle so much from your mother." John said in his head looking really worried.

Overall, John still stayed loyal to his beloved Frankie and things always worked out as each day passed. Then... the day finally came.

In the living room, Nick was sitting on the floor with Judy and John was sitting on the couch with Stu and Bonnie. It was the final week of Frankie's pregnancy and they were preparing for everything.

"Okay. I think we're ready." John said as he checks a notepad with a list of things. "The new room's ready, the cribs are set, we babyproof the cabinets, diapers, baby food, everything."

"Sounds like you are really prepared, John." Stu said.

"Yes, sirree! By this time next week, we should be ready." John said with a wide smile.

They then hear a loud shout. It was from Frankie.

"JOOOOOOHNNY!" Frankie shouted out loudly.

"Frankie?" John said getting up from the couch. Frankie makes it into the room. "What is it, dearly?"

Frankie had her paws on her stomach as she answered. "They're coming!"

"What?" John said looking confused.

"The babies! It's time!" Frankie stated.

As Frankie said that, everyone else's eyes opened up widely.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Everyone else shouted out while getting up.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S TIME?!" John shouted out in a panic. "THE DUE DATE ISN'T FOR ANOTHER WEEK! Are you sure?"

"Well... since I'm the one **having** these kits, PRETTY SURE!" Frankie stated firmly.

"Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod!" John said frantically. While saying that he was ready for when the babies come, he didn't prepare himself for them coming a week early. He was already hyperventilating.

"Johnathan, calm down." Bonnie said to the fox. "This situation isn't new to someone like Stu and I. Just remember your plan."

"My plan? That's right my plan." John said regaining his composure. "Okay. First thing, we need to get to the hospital. Frankie, take Bonnie to the car. Nicky, you drive."

"Uhhh... pop, I'm not old enough to drive." Nick stated confused why John said for him to drive.

"Want to try that again?" Frankie asked John.

"I mean, Frankie, to the car. I'll drive." John said making sure to say the right things.

"Better." Frankie said pleased. Frankie then felt a couple more kicks in her stomach. "Oooohhh! They're really want to come out now."

"Eeek!" Nick and Judy said looking worried.

"We're burning daylight. Let's move, move, move!" Stu said taking charge.

With that, everyone hurried out the house and ran to the car. Except, for one thing. Everyone rushed out... without getting Frankie. The one who was pregnant and in too much of a condition to properly dash.

"Uhhh... excuse me?" Frankie said to everyone. John immediately came back to her.

"Sorry. Sorry." John said as he helps his wife walk.

So after that, they quickly made their way to the hospital. As Frankie was set to the operating room, John came with her. Nick, Judy, and Judy's parents waited in the hospital lobby. For support, Nick paced for what seemed like hours. It seemed like John wasn't the only one nervous about today. While Nick mentally prepared himself, him was actually afraid of being a future big brother.

"Nervous?" Judy asked Nick concern for her friend.

"Very." Nick replied. "What if something happens or... I'm not a good big brother?"

"Nick, you're overthinking things." Judy said to Nick.

"Easy for you to say. You already have like a hundred younger brothers and sisters. You're used to being a big sister."

"Relax. I told you before, you can handle it. You can handle anything." Judy said as she holds Nick's paw.

"I hope you're right." Nick said still sounding unsure.

At that moment, one of the doctors came to Nick. She was a slim cheetah that wore a doctor's coat.

"You must be the lucky boy." The doctor said to Nick.

"Depends on how you would define 'lucky'." Nick said to her. "How's my mom?"

"She's fine. Your mother's a-okay." The doctor told Nick with a smile.

"*sigh* That's a relief." Nick said happily.

"So... do you want to meet them?" The doctor asked.

Nick's eyes widen as he hears those words. He then turns to Judy and the Hopps parents, who all nodded at him. Telling him that he should go. So Nick followed the doctor, leading him to the room his parents were in. The doctor then opens the door for Nick.

"Go on in." The doctor said.

Nick slowly walked inside of the room. As he did, he hears the sounds of small crying. He then looked in awe at the sight he saw. He sees his mom on the hospital bed with his dad by her side. In Frankie's arms were two baby fox pups. John and Frankie then looked up at Nick with a smile.

"Hey, son." John said.

"Come say hi to your brother and sister. Todrick Henderson Wilde and Victoria Danielle Wilde." Frankie said. Frankie looked a bit exhausted, but she was fine.

Nick then slowly walked up to them. He got beside his father and looked at his two new siblings as his mother held both of them. They were small and crying quite a lot. Yet, Nick could help by smile and get a bit emotional.

"They're so small." Nick said with a light smile.

"Well, their lives are just starting today." John stated. "They still have a lot of growing to do. So, as their big brother, you have to help them whenever you can."

"Okay." Nick said nodding. "I promise." Nick then continued to look at the newborns with a sincere smile as they stopped crying. "Hey, Toddy. Hey, Vicky. I'm Nick. Your big brother."

And that's how Todd and Vicky were born. Nick always did what he could for them and became a good and loving big brother. Now back with Nick and his family.

As Frankie fed the twins, Nick was getting a backpack.

"So, today's the day, isn't it?" Frankie asked Nick.

"Indeed it is, mom." Nick replied.

"Got your stuff?" Frankie asked.

"Yes, mom." Nick answered.

"Got your ticket?" Frankie asked.

"Yes, mom." Nick answered again.

"How about..." Frankie asked.

"Ma, I got everything I need." Nick stated. "Don't worry. I was prepared since yesterday." Nick then put his backpack on his back. "Alright. I'm ready to get going."

As Nick said that, the twins looked a bit fussy and upset as they tried to reach for Nick.

"Aww. I don't think Todd and Vicky want you to go." Frankie said.

Nick then walked over to the two pups.

"Hey now. It won't be too long. I'm only gonna be gone for a day or two. Promise." Nick said to them.

Vicky looked pretty upset while Todd just looked a little bit mad. He even had his little arms crossed.

"Come on. Don't be that way." Nick said trying to cheer his siblings up.

Nick then started making some goofy funny faces to make them happy again. It seems to work since the two were both giggling.

"There's the sweet smiles." Nick said happily. He then faced Todd. "Toddy, be good. Okay? Up top." He then had his paw out, wanting his baby brother to high-paw him. Todd lightly pawed his brother's paw, which made Nick happy. He then walked over to face Vicky. "You be good too, Vicky." Nick then gives Vicky some butterfly kisses on her left cheek. Vicky responds with more giggling. Nick then faced his mom. "Okay. I'm going now. Tell pop I said bye."

"Speaking about your father..." Frankie said to Nick before putting a brown paper bag on the table. "... he forgot to bring his lunch. Be a good boy and take it to him."

"WHAT?! NOW?!" Nick shouted out. He didn't sound too happy. "Ma, the shop is on the opposite side of the train station and I might miss my train."

"Well then, you better hurry." Frankie said to Nick giving him some tough love.

"DAAAAAHHHH!" Nick shouted looking angrily as he takes the lunch bag and rushes out of the room.

"LOVE YOU!" Frankie shouted out to Nick before he left.

"YEAH YEAH!" Nick shouted out before slamming the door.

"Guess he wasn't expecting that." Frankie to Todd and Vicky. She then switches to baby talk. "Daddy's so forgetful, isn't he?"

Meanwhile, Nick dashed out of his house and got on his bike while chanting "I love my family. I love my family." to motivate him to actually bring his father's lunch to him instead of just heading to the station. Nick was sure to put the pedal to the metal and ride as fast as he could. He was careful to avoid the passing bystanders, but also took the time to say hey to everyone he knew.

The city of Zootopia hasn't really changed much. It was always busy and people from left and right try to get to where they need to go. It was all still the same, yet Nick still loved the city. There was one new thing added to the city. That was Nick's stop. A big suit and tailor shop in the middle of Downtown. Wilde and Family's Suitopia. The dream store that Nick's father, John, wanted for so long was now a reality.

"There it is. Suitopia." Nick thought with a big smile.

Nick was pretty happy that his father was able to finally opened his dream store. Nick then started flashing back to the day the store was officially opened. A small crowd surrounded the store. A few people in the crowd were some of the Hopps family members. Even Mr. Big, his daughter, Fru Fru, and his bodyguards were here. The Wildes all felt happy about this. John was smiling and Frankie was happy for him. She was also still six months pregnant with the twins. With some big scissors, John was about to cut the bring red ribbon in front of the store.

"And with these scissors, I now declare Wilde and Family's Suitopia..." John said about to cut the ribbon. But then he stops for a moment as he looks at his son. "You know what..." He then hands Nick the scissors. "... how about you do the honors, Nick?"

"Me? Really?" Nick said as his eyes opened up.

"You earned this just as much as I did." John said to Nick with a big smile.

As tempted as Nick was, he still felt that this was more of his father's moment. But that didn't mean they couldn't compromise.

"Together?" Nick asked.

"Works for me." John said agreeing with Nick.

"Mom, you should join in too. It will also be like the babies are joining in too." Nick said to his mom.

"Alright." Frankie said agreeing with Nick.

So the three foxes each held the scissors and prepared to cut the ribbon together.

"And with these scissors, **we** now declare that Wilde and Family's Suitopia..." Nick said.

The Wildes then cut the ribbon.

"... OPEN!" The Wildes all shouted out happily.

Everyone clapped now that the new store was finally opened. Suitopia is now considered to be one of the best suit and tailor shops in Downtown and slowly becoming one of the best in the city. The store gets a fair amount of business and is quite successful. John was even able to hire some employees to help him with the shop. The employees all worn vests or suits, depending on what they preferred.

As Nick finished reminiscing, he grabs the lunch bag and hurried into the shop. The shop was a lot the old one, but MUCH bigger. Plenty suits were displayed inside the store and by the window. There was also plenty of fabric material for making suits on shelves. Everything a suit and tailor store should have. Nick walks around and greets all the employees.

"Hello." Nick said waving to a male rhino.

"Hey, Nick." The rhino said greeting the teenage fox.

"Hey there." Nick said greeting a male raccoon.

"Hello, Nick. How have you been?" The raccoon asked.

"Good. Good." Nick replied.

Nick then stopped by to greet a wolverine with glasses that he was actually quite close to.

"Hey, Uncle Harvey." Nick said cheerfully.

"Hey, Nicky." Harvey said greeting Nick.

Harvey Wolven is John's friend since college. He's also in really good term with the Wildes. When John asked him if he could work for the store, Harvey was more than happy to. So he quitted his old office job and worked with John the second the business opened.

"What brings you here?" Harvey asked.

"Bringing pop his lunch." Nick replied while holding up the brow bag. "Mom noticed pop forgot this and she decided **I** should be the one to bring it to him."

"I see. You're a good boy, Nick." Harvey said to Nick.

"Yeah... I keep telling myself that." Nick said looking annoyed by it. "So, where is pops?"

"In his office." Harvey said pointing at the office door.

"Thanks." Nick said with a smile.

Nick then headed to the door and opened it up. Inside the office room, John was in a suave dark blue suit doing paperwork. John noticed Nick as the door opened.

"Oh! Nicky! What brings you here, champ?" John asked happy to see his son.

"Hey, pop." Nick said as he walked up to his desk. "I'm here cause you forgot your lunch... again. Mom wanted me to bring it to you."

Nick then handed the bag to John to have.

"Ah. I knew I forgot something. Thank you, Nicky. You're a good boy." John said with a smile.

"Uncle Harvey said the same thing. Like I said to him, I keep telling myself that." Nick said still looking annoyed by his sense of duty.

"Wait? Isn't today the day?" John asked.

"Yeah. I was supposed to already be at the train station, but I had to come here first." Nick said looking at the clock on his dad's desk. The clock said 10:15 pm. "Crud! Is that the time? I don't think I'm gonna be able to catch my train now."

Hearing that made John's ears twitched. John knew if Nick missed his train, it was because of him. Being the kind of dad John is, he wasn't gonna let that happened.

"Get it the car." John said firmly as he gets out of his chair.

"What?" Nick said looking confused. John then immediately grabbed his arm. "Hey!"

"We are getting in my car and I'm driving you to the train station. Now let's move." John said firmly as they walk out the door. While out of his office, he speaks to Harvey as he passes him by. "Harv, watch the store while I'm gone."

"Will do." Harvey replied.

With that, Nick and John went outside and got into his car. John didn't even slow down. The second they got into the car was the second he turned the key into the ignition. A few seconds after that, John was on his way to take Nick to the train station. The main problem was... traffic. Zootopia almost always had heavy traffic. Especially during this time of day. John was getting pretty frustrated and started honking the horn a bit.

"MOVE IT!" John shouted out. "I need to take my son to the train station!"

"Pop, it's fine." Nick said trying to calm down his father.

"No! You're only late for your train because of me and I'm not losing points off my _dad card_ for this." John said.

" _Dad card_?" Nick said sounding curious.

"When I do good things for my kids, I gain points. When something bad happens to my kids because of me, I lose points." John explained. "I **refuse** to give up. Being a good dad is one of the only things I'm proud of."

"O... kay..." Nick said sounding a bit scared.

"Make sure your seatbelts on tight. We're taking a shortcut." John said to Nick.

"What?" Nick said a bit scared of what might happen next.

John then turned the car to another route with less traffic. He also stepped on the gas a bit harder than he needed to. Fast enough to almost break the speed limit, but slow enough to not be reckless. John seems to know where he should go, but it didn't make Nick feel any better. In fact, he was fearing for his very life. After some crazy lefts and rights...

"Made it!" John said as he parks the car near the train station. "And with minutes to spare."

"Huh. Nicely done, pop." Nick said glad to make it to the station on time.

"Wellllllllllll..." John asked with a smirk if he did well.

"Yes, pop. Your _dad card_ reminds untainted. In fact, I'm pretty sure you just earn some points." Nick said to his dad with a smile.

"YEEEEESSSS!" John said proudly pumping his face.

"Alright. If that's all you need, I need to get on my train." Nick said as he opened the car door and put his backpack on. He gets out the car and closes the door and was on his way. "See ya, pop."

"Hang on, Nicky. One more thing." John said to halt him for one moment.

"Yeah?" Nick asked.

"Good luck." John said with a smile.

"Heh. I'm pretty sure I don't need luck, pop." Nick said with a smirk.

Nick and John then hear an announcement from the station.

" _Attention. Train A-3 will be departing in two minutes_."

"CRUD! That's my train!" Nick said looking panicked.

"GO! GO! GO!" John said frantically.

"Right! Thanksfortheridepoploveyabye!" Nick said as quick as he could move.

Nick hurried to his train before he missed it. He even had to get on all fours to move fast enough. In the _nick_ of time **(Ha! Wordplay.)** , Nick was finally made it to his train before departing.

"*Huff* *Huff* Made it." Nick said sounding tired.

"Just barely, kid." The zebra conductor said. "Consider yourself lucky."

"Don't I know it." Nick said knowing that he has always been very lucky.

After giving the conductor his ticket, Nick got inside the train. The conductor shouted out "ALL BOOOOOARD!" and the train began to start up. Within a few seconds, the train started moving. It was gonna be a while before Nick would head to his destination. But Nick was willing to wait. Cause the place he was heading to was important to him.

"Next stop, Bunnyburrow." Nick said to himself.

Bunnyburrow. A small town where the majority of its population were rabbits. The town rarely changes. Besides the population growing every minute. The two was also was the home of a family of rabbits named the Hopps. A family that had one of the most popular farms in town. The family also had one special bunny.

This bunny was a young grey-furred doe with purple eyes. She was wearing a navy blue shirt with a white collar and grey jeans. The bunny was in her room filled stuff animals on her bed, some decorative posters, and a desk that had a framed photo of a young bunny with a fox. As the bunny brushed her ears with a brush looking at her desk mirror, she was listening to her radio. Playing, was R&B artist, Ashanti Doglas with her song, Happy.

As the song began to play out, the bunny was now finished grooming herself.

"Okay. Ready for another day." The bunny said to her reflection as her ears went up.

This bunny was Judy Hopps. The perky and clever bunny who dreamed of joining the Zootopia Police Department one day. Her goal hasn't changed and neither has she much from her 9-year-old self. Other than growing a bit taller and looking like a proper young teen. After finishing brushing her ears, Judy hears a few knocks on her door.

"Coming!" Judy shouted out.

Judy turned off her radio, gets off her chair and opens the door. As she does, she is greeted by 3 of her sisters. All around the same age she was. A white-furred bunny wearing a yellow tank top, blue skirt, and a white flower on the side of her right ear, Daisy. A light grey bunny wearing glasses, a blue and white shirt, and black jeans, Wendy. Lastly, a light brown bunny wearing a dark green shirt and a white skirt, Abby.

"Hey, Judy!" Daisy, Wendy, and Abby all went joyfully.

"Of course. It's you three. Again." Judy said not sounding too surprised to see her sisters.

"Let us in." Daisy said.

"What was the point in some of us having our own rooms now if we're just gonna keep coming into each other's room?" Judy said still letting them in. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to talk about the usual." Abby said.

"The usual. Of course." Judy said as her ears droop down and she sits back in her chair. "If we're just gonna talk about the usual stuff, then you already know my answers. The same as it always is."

"Come on, Jude. We're teenagers now. Talking about boys is what us girls do." Daisy stated.

Judy and her sisters are at that age where they can start to date or see boys. Abby, Daisy, and Wendy are three of Judy's many sisters that want to know if Judy wanted to date. Judy's usually negative about the subject.

"Like I told you, I'm not interested in boys." Judy stated. "Nor are boys interested in me."

"That's a lie if I've ever heard one." Daisy said as she sat on Judy's bed.

"While I can't say if you are interested in boys, I do recall many boys being interested in you." Wendy stated. "You just turn down each and every boy that asks you out."

"I didn't really _like_ any of them." Judy stated. "They were all one-sided. Always trying to impress me with their 'so-called' _swagger_."

"Yeah... their _swagger_ is not impressive." Wendy said to agree with Judy.

As the girls talked, Judy looked at her picture frame of her and Nick when they were 9. She still kept all the good memories she had with Nick in her mind. Abby noticed Judy looking at the picture and even took a look at the picture.

"I see. So that's why you aren't interested in boys." Daisy said with a smirk.

Judy noticed Daisy looking at her picture and started blushing a bit.

"Of course. Still hung up on **him** , are you?" Abby asked.

"I have no idea who you are talking about." Judy said firmly as she looked away.

"Mm hmm." Judy's three sisters went not believe her.

"Ladies, give me an N." Daisy said to Abby and Wendy.

"N!" Abby and Wendy shouted out.

"Give me an I." Daisy said next.

"I!" Abby and Wendy shouted out.

"Give me a C." Daisy said next.

"C!" Abby and Wendy shouted out.

"Give me an K." Daisy said next.

"K!" Abby and Wendy shouted out.

"What does that spell?" Daisy said lastly.

"NICK!" Abby and Wendy happily shouted out.

"Quit it! Quit it!" Judy said feeling annoyed.

Everyone who's anyone knows that Judy has always had a thing for her childhood friend, Nick. The two were always really close and they had shared their feelings with each other. Everyone in the family knew about that too.

"Judy, we already know how much you like Nick." Daisy stated. "So it's clear that you only have eyes for him."

"Makes sense. You two pretty much have the kind of romance that would be great for movies and romance novels." Abby stated.

"Why is everyone obsessed with thinking Nick and I are this 'great couple'?" Judy asked still blushing quite a bit.

"Cause you kinda are." Wendy stated. "At least to most of us."

"I'm aware of how great Nick and I are together. I've always had since we were kids. But come on. I haven't even seen Nick since the twins were born. That was like a year ago." Judy stated.

In reality, it's been over a year since Nick and Judy have seen each other. As time went by, their visits slowly began to shorten from once a week to once every other week to only being a once a month. Eventually, the visits stopped because both families were too busy with their businesses. As sad as the two were about it, Nick and Judy understood. The two haven't seen or talked to each other ever since.

"Maybe... things will change." Daisy said.

"You said that the last time. Yet things are still the same." Judy stated.

"Come it. Nick's not like the others." Abby stated.

"Do you still have feelings for Nick?" Wendy asked.

"Do I... do I still have feelings for Nick?" Judy said looking a little flustered. She looked at her sisters, who were giving her wide smirks. When she saw that, there was no point in lying. "Of course I still have feelings. Since the night of the dance, I think about it all the time. When we dance together. When we talked to each other about how we felt. When we kissed. Those thoughts haven't slipped my mind in the slightest."

Even with it been a long time since Judy has seen Nick, the feelings were still there, as well as the memories. No one has ever had an effect on Judy's life other than Nick. Daisy then walked over to Judy and looked her dead in the eye.

"Jude, answer me seriously when I ask you this." Daisy said sounding serious. "Did Nick... 'mark' you?"

"WHAT?!" Judy shouted out nearly hopping out her seat. She also looked really red-faced from her sister's question. "Why did you had to say that?"

"Cause it seems that way." Daisy said.

"Well, it's not." Judy said firmly. "He didn't mark me just because he kissed me. If that were the case then..." Judy still blushed she loses her firm tone for the next thing she says. "... I was the one who 'marked' him first."

Judy's last words made her sisters froze up with widening eyes.

"Jude, what do you mean by that?" Daisy asked.

"Uhhhhhhh..." Judy said trying to figure out something else to say.

"Juuuuuuuude..." Abby said wanting an answer.

Judy knew there was no point in hiding things anymore.

"Fine. There may have been a time when I've kissed Nick." Judy said embarrassed to admit it.

"WHAAAAAATTTTT?!" Daisy, Abby, and Wendy shouted out in shock.

"A little louder, why don't ya? I don't think the rest of the house heard you." Judy said looking a bit angry.

"WHEN?! When did you kiss him?!" Abby asked.

"It was after the whole Junior Ranger Scout thing. 4 years ago." Judy stated.

"4 YEARS AGO?!" Daisy shouted out in more shock.

"During the Junior Ranger Scout thing? You mean you kissed him that long ago and NOT tell ANY of us?" Abby asked looking upset about not hearing the news sooner.

"You know how you guys are." Judy stated.

"4 YEARS AGO?!" Daisy shouted out again.

"You couldn't even tell ONE of us?" Wendy asked also upset.

"It would have spread like wildfire." Judy stated.

"4 YEARS AGO?!" Daisy shouted out once more.

"YES! YES! I kissed Nick... on the cheek... _4 YEARS AGO_!" Judy said firmly and getting tired of Daisy repeating it.

"Exactly how long did you..." Daisy asked wanting to how long Judy had kissed Nick.

"2 seconds." Judy answered.

"Ooooooooooh!" Judy's sisters all went.

"If it was longer than a peck, then..." Abby said.

"I know the rule." Judy said firmly. "Anything longer than a simple peck means more."

"So... why did you kiss him?" Wendy asked.

"I don't know. It just happened." Judy stated as she rubbed her drooping ears. "It was after we set Chuck and those other boys straight. There was some crying, some hugging, and some paw holding."

"All that in one night? Man, those two were closer than most couples within the first 3 years." Daisy thought.

"After some talking, that's when Nick decided he should join the ZPD as well. That way we can become partners and work together." Judy said to them. "After we got to his house, I left to go back to the motel. But... not before giving Nick a kiss. Then I ran to a corner and freaked out quite a bit."

"So that's what happened?" Abby asked.

"Yeah." Judy answered.

"Well... it's very clear now. Mark or not, it obvious that not only have you **always** liked Nick from the very beginning, but you **still** waiting for a day where the two of you can be together." Abby stated.

"Mmm..." Judy went not really wanting to say anything else.

"Come on. Isn't that why you're still wearing **that**?" Abby asked pointing at a bracelet on Judy's right arm. It was a black lace with two little charms. A carrot and a blueberry.

This bracelet was something Judy made a sign of her and Nick's bond. She made one for Nick as well to be a sort of good luck charm. Nick vowed to Judy that he would never take his off and Judy had decided to do the same. Her still wearing it now meant that she kept that vow.

"I made one for Nick. Well, two after the last one he had broke." Judy said as she looked at her bracelet. "He said he would never take it off. It's only fair that I do the same."

"It's more like you don't **want** to take it off." Daisy said with a light smile. "Cause if you do, you might forget about him. The one who's changed your life in more ways than you can be thankful for."

"Alright. That's enough." Judy said as she gets up from her chair. "I don't feel like talking about Nick anymore."

"Heehee! That's a first." Abby said after giggling.

"Girls!" Judy said sounding serious. "While I get what you are all saying and even agree with you, the whole Nick and I 'thing' still might not even happen."

"Even if you see him again?" Wendy asked.

"Even if that happens." Judy replied.

"Why not?" Daisy asked.

"Uhhhh... well..." Judy said nervously. Clearly, she didn't have a really good excuse for her not dating Nick. "... because he's not exactly my type."

Abby, Daisy, and Wendy gave Judy a look of disbelief.

"Really? He's not your type?" Daisy asked raising an eyebrow up. "Then, by all means, tell us what your type is."

"We'll tell you if Nick doesn't fit the pieces." Wendy said with a smirk.

"Okay." Judy said agreeing with these terms. "Well... he has to be nice."

"Nick." Judy's sister said.

"He should not only be smart, but clever in his own way." Judy said.

"Nick." Judy's sisters said again.

"He should be honest." Judy said.

"Nick." Judy's sisters said again.

"He needs to be brave, dependable, and follows his own path." Judy said.

"Nick, Nick, annnnnnnnd Nick." Judy's sisters said knowing that Nick has fit ALL of Judy's standards.

"And preferably..." Judy said scratching the back of her head. "... he should... be a rabbit."

"Ni..." Judy's sisters were about to say Nick again, but paused when they realized that she mentioned 'rabbit'.

"Wait, what?" Daisy said surprised to hear what Judy said.

"Judy, you not that stereotypical, are you?" Wendy asked.

Judy walked over to her room door before saying something else to them. "In a world like this, maybe I am."

With that, Judy then left her room. Daisy, Wendy, and Abby didn't want end things there. The three immediately followed Judy down the hall. The three then walked and talked while passing a few of their other siblings.

"Judy, are you telling us the only reason you wouldn't want to date Nick is that he's a fox?" Daisy asked.

"No. The reason is not that he's a fox. It's because he's not a rabbit." Judy stated.

"That's basically the same thing." Wendy stated.

"Listen, this is what I talked to Nick about. It's one of the reasons we decided not to date." Judy said to them. "When it all comes down to it, he's a fox and I'm a rabbit."

"You're really letting something like that stop you?" Abby asked.

"It's not just that." Judy said before halting and looking back at her sisters. "Look at our family. No one in our family has dated outside of our species. Not only that, you know how most of them were when it came to foxes. It also doesn't help that most mammals don't date mammals outside of their species too. So what does that tell you?"

"That most people only end up with mammals that are the same as them." Wendy replied.

"Exactly." Judy said. "Sure, when we were kids, it was like ' _Oh. A fox and a bunny. That's odd, but still very cute._ '. Now that we're teens, it will probably be like ' _A fox and a bunny? Golly, I hope they end that relationship before they become adults_.'. Then... there's adulthood." Judy seemed a little shaky for the next thing she was going to say. "Whether we want to admit it or not, I pretty sure if we passed people, they would say ' _A fox and rabbit? How disgusting. Don't they have any decency_?'. That's what people will think. If not everyone, then a high majority."

Judy had a point most relationships in the world were all mammals of the same species. Even the ones that didn't, they don't date on different sides. Prey and Prey. Predator and Predator. But never Prey and Predator.

"Judy, do you really that's how it's gonna be if you date Nick?" Abby asked.

"Can you honestly say it would be like that?" Judy asked. Daisy, Abby, and Wendy became silent. They couldn't give Judy an answer. "Your silence answers my question."

With that, Judy then started walking away. Her sisters still followed her. They all made their way to the kitchen. Each of them got a can of strawberry soda from the fridge. While Judy didn't want to say anything else, Daisy did want to say something.

"Judy, let me tell you this. I'm not trying to sound mean, but I am gonna be blunt." Daisy said to her. "So here goes. Judy, there is nobody out there for you."

"Wow... Just pulled the bandage off, did ya?" Judy said not liking Daisy's bluntness.

"Well to be more direct, there is no **bunny** out there for you." Daisy stated. "You what to know what the bunnies are like in this town? They want to be like every other bunny. Run their family business and settle. They have no drive. No motivation. But you, Judy..." Daisy opened up her soda and drank a bit of it before talking again. "... you are different. You're very driven and don't want to be bound by the typical bunny stereotypes. You're too good for the average run-of-the-mill bunny and shouldn't settle for anyone less. Honestly, I'm starting to think I am too."

"Is that so?" Judy asked.

"Very so." Daisy replied. "You need someone who will motivate you to succeed in your goals. Date someone here, they would just tell you to be practical and settle for the small and easy goals. While that seems okay for some folks, it still basically a cop-out. If you don't work hard for what you have, how do you know if you truly earned it?" Daisy then walked closer to Judy and put her left paw on Judy's right shoulder. "That's what you taught all of us, right?"

"Daisy..." Judy said in a sincere matter.

"So what if you and Nick are different species. If the world is gonna be against that, then you just need to break the mold and change everyone's minds." Daisy said while smiling boldly. "I mean, you're already planning on doing that when you become a cop, right? Might as well add one more thing to the list."

Judy was surprisingly at a lost for words. Usually, she's the one in her family to give out advice like that. The fact that one of her sisters gave that kind of advice to her, caught her off guard.

"Are you really one of my sisters? Last time I checked, most of my siblings aren't even close to talking like I would." Judy said with a smirk.

"Heeeeyy!" Daisy, Abby, and Wendy said not sounding too happy.

"We've all changed a LOT after you became friends with Nick." Daisy said.

"He helped you understand things you did. So it's only logical that he did the same for the rest of us." Wendy stated.

"Fair enough." Judy said shrugging.

The four then finished their sodas and throw away the cans in a trash bin. After that, they all walk out the kitchen and to the living room.

"To honest, you're girls are completely right. I would really love to date Nick one day. Like a lot." Judy admitted.

"Knew it. You two have a unique romance. Just like the ones in the movies." Daisy said joyfully.

"However, we both still live in different towns and things aren't like how they were when we were younger." Judy stated. "I not even sure I will even see him again."

"So... if you were to see him again..." Abby asked.

"The two of us might talk and try to make it work." Judy replied. "But if it comes to Nick and I not seeing each other again, then just how it will be."

"I doubt that will happened. You two are bonded by fate. Always have been. Just like the movies." Daisy stated.

"If we really are bonded by fate, then it will be fate that brings us back together." Judy said.

The four girls then make it to the living room. As they did, they happen to hear some knocking on the door.

"Someone's at the door." Judy stated.

"Maybe that's Nick coming to sweep you off your feet." Daisy said.

"You said that the last time. And the time before that." Judy stated.

As Judy said that, the doorbell still rang.

"Guess I'll get it." Judy said as she started walking to the door. Whoever was behind the door still continued to ring the doorbell. It annoyed Judy a bit. "I'M COMING! GIVE ME A SECOND!" After that shout, Judy made it to her door, unlocked it, and opened the door to see who it was. "You better have a reason to ring my bell so mu..."

Judy was turned speechless from who was at the door. Her ears drooped down and her eyes widen. Cause the person she was looking at... was Nick himself. The fox looked a bit surprised to see that Judy was the one to answer the door, but was still happy enough to see she. It was obvious with the smile on his face. From behind Judy in the distance, her sisters were shocked with dropped jaws to see Nick as well.

"Oh my god. It really is Nick." Abby said shocked to see him.

"I didn't think he would actually show up." Daisy stated still shocked by it too.

"Shhh! Stay quiet." Wendy said thinking they should all be quiet.

Abby and Wendy covered their mouths as they didn't want to disturb Nick and Judy. Nick and Judy were still gazing at each other by the door. Nick then finally broke the silence.

"Judith Laverne Hopps." Nick said saying Judy's full name.

"Nicholas Piberius Wilde." Judy said following Nick's role and saying Nick's full name as well.

Nick then opened his arms. Guess he was expecting to get a hug from Judy.

"You come here and the first thing you expect is a hug?" Judy asked Nick.

"You know you want to." Nick said with a smirk.

If there's one thing about Nick, it's him having a habit of being right. Judy had wanted to see Nick for so long. Her heart was overwhelmed with joy. She then dashed to Nick and hugged him, wrapping her arms around him. Nick did the same as she embraced her.

"I've missed you, Nick." Judy said happily.

"I've missed you too, Carrots." Nick said happy as well.

As the two continued to hug, Abby, Wendy, and Daisy happily looked from a distance. Daisy was the most emotional of the three.

"*sniff**sniff* See? Just like the movies." Daisy said as she wipes tears from her eyes.

 **Nick and Judy have reunited. So... what does this mean now? Will the two end up being a couple and make things work? What could this mean for the future? Whatever happens, will happen... in the next chapter. This is the first chapter after all. There's still much more to come. Until then, see ya next time.**


	2. Remembering a Promise: Part 2

**Hello, everyone. Time for chapter 2 of Endless Summer. First off, holy crap! Within the first day of the chapter being posted, this story already got over 50 favs and 70 follows. Now, the follower count made it to 100 in just one week. OH...M... GOODNESS! Thank you all for following so quickly. It makes me feel very happy inside. So anyway, that first chapter tho. It's been a full year since Nick and Judy seen each other. But now Nick arrives at Judy's doorstep. What will happen next? Will the two end up being together? Let's get straight to the story.**

 **Also, thank you OceRydia for the awesome cover art. You are definitely having a spot on my top favorite Zootopia artists.**

* * *

There the two of them were. Nick and Judy. Reunited. The two were still hugging by the front of the doorway. Just seeing each other again made them both really happy. Still...

"Judy?" Nick said to Judy.

"Yes?" Judy said to Nick.

"We have to let go eventually." Nick told her.

"Just a little bit longer..." Judy said still wanting to hug Nick a bit more. "... annnnnnnnnd, done." Judy and Nick finally let go of each other. "Nick, it's so good to see you again. What are you doing here?"

"What? Can't a fox go visit his closest friend? Even if she's a bunny?" Nick asked with a grin. "It's been a while, so I got on a train, took a taxi, and now I'm here."

"Right. Here you are." Judy said awkwardly smiling.

Next thing Nick did was having his paws on Judy's face and getting a good look at her. He then was checking out her teeth.

"What... are you doing?" Judy said feeling uncomfortable.

"Settling a bet. Finnick said that the next time I saw you, you might be wearing glasses or braces. I see no glasses or contacts on you and your bunny teeth are metal free." Nick told her before smiling slyly. "Looks like someone owes me 10 bucks."

"Wow. That's really something to say and do after reuniting with an old friend after a year." Judy said with a straight face.

"Haha." Nick laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "Sooooo... aren't ya gonna invite me in... or did you guys put back on the fox rule?" Nick asked joking around a bit.

"Oh. Sorry." Judy said feeling embarrassed for not letting him in already. She then moved to allow Nick to enter. "Come on it."

"Gladly." Nick said happily.

Nick then made it into the Hopps house as Judy follows and closes the door. Since Judy's sisters were still around, Judy thought it was a good time to reintroduce Nick to them. She still felt awkward about Nick coming right out of the blue.

"Girls, look. Nick's here. Nick. The same Nick that's been friends with our family for years. That Nick." Judy said awkwardly.

"Heeeeeeeey, Nick." Daisy, Wendy, and Abby said while waving at Nick.

"Daisy. Wendy. Abby. Good to see you again, ladies." Nick said with a finger gun and a wink.

"Heeheehee!" Judy's sisters giggled.

Nick looked around the house and notice that the place looked just like he remembered.

"Man, this place hasn't changed a bit, has it?" Nick said to Judy.

"We did add some new rooms so quite a few of us have our own rooms now." Judy told Nick.

"Oh. Cool!" Nick said smiling.

Nick then continued looking around the room and halls a bit. He felt weird that it was surprisingly quiet with not too many bunnies running around. As he thought that, Judy's sisters were trying to get her attention. They didn't want Nick to hear them. So they just mouthed the words.

"Nick's here! Nick's REALLY here." Daisy mouthed.

"I'm aware." Judy mouthed. "But I want to know why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Wendy mouthed.

"He's here for you." Abby, Wendy, and Daisy mouthed while pointing at Judy.

"Me?" Judy mouthed while pointing at herself.

"Duh!" Abby, Wendy, and Daisy mouthed.

It was obvious to Judy's sisters that Nick came for her. But Judy wasn't sure about that. But even so, Judy was still happy to see Nick again. Nick then turned back to Judy.

"So Carrots, are there any more **new** brothers and sisters I should know about?" Nick asked curiously.

"No. Just the ones you already know." Judy told him. "We made a little... 'rule' with mom and dad. If they have ANY more kids, then all of us are obligated to move out of Bunnyburrow forever and do our own things."

"That's... a bit much, don't you think?" Nick said feeling that what Judy said was a bit overboard.

"There is enough of us here, Nick. You know it. I know it. Everyone in this whole house knows it." Judy stated firmly. "Just because we're bunnies, doesn't mean there has to be so many of us."

"I... won't argue with that." Nick said as he scratches the back of his head. He knew Judy had a point. Families are big with just 3 or 4 kids. Let alone almost in the 300s.

At that moment, someone else came into the room. It was Judy's mom, Bonnie Hopps. She was wearing a sleeveless pink flannel shirt with a blue skirt that had carrots on it.

"Was someone at the door?" Bonnie asked her daughters. "I could have sworn I heard the doorb..." Bonnie stops talking when she sees Nick.

"Mrs. Hopps!" Nick said happily.

"Nick! So it's you." Bonnie said with a smile and surprised to see him.

Nick then walked over to Bonnie and gave her a hug. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Give-and-take it's only been a year." Nick said before ending the hug.

"I'll say. But by looking at you now, you must have had your growth spurt." Bonnie said.

"Yeah. I'm a _little_ taller." Nick stated not trying to brag. "Anyway, I know it's out of the blue but may I ask if it's okay if I spend the night here?"

"Of course. You are always welcome here." Bonnie said to Nick.

"Sweet! Thanks!" Nick said happily

At the moment, another bunny showed up. He was around Judy and Nick's age. He had golden brown fur and was wearing a dark green t-shirt and blue jeans. It was Judy's brother, Greg. Greg was one of the Hopps kids that were actually pretty close to Nick, besides Judy.

"Man, there is like NOTHING going on today." Greg said as he entered the room looking bored.

"GREGGY!" Nick shouted out with a smile.

Greg turned around to see Nick and he was completely off guard that Nick was here. "Oh my gosh! NICKY!" Greg shouted out before running to Nick and giving him a hug. "Hahaha! What's up, buddy? It's been too long."

"I'll say." Nick said agreeing. The two then stopped hugging. "So, how things been for you?"

"Same old, same old. It's boring." Greg said with a straight face. "Please tell me you're spending the whole day here."

"I'm spending the whole day here." Nick said while nodding.

"Yes! Boredom averted!" Greg said as he pumped his fist. "Oh! We should let everyone else know you're here too."

"Wait, what?" Nick said looking a bit scared.

"Uhh... Greg, I don't think that's..." Judy said trying to get Greg to wait.

"HEY EVERYONE, NICK'S HERE! NICK'S COME TO VISIT!" Greg shouted out loudly.

After three seconds, everyone could feel the ground shaking. Nick started to have a very scared look on his face for what was about to happen. Then out of nowhere, hundreds of the Hopps kids started coming down by halls. All of them seem eager to see Nick. Basically, they all rushed to Nick and shouted out "NIIIIIICCCCCK!" as prepared to glomp him. It was at that moment, Nick feared for his life.

"So... this is how I die." Nick thought before being tackled down to the ground by Judy's siblings.

"Nick! It's been so long."

"We missed you."

"Did you missed us?"

"Of course he did. Isn't that why he's here?"

"Play with us, Nick."

"No, with us."

"Can you all give me some space, please?" Nick to all the bunnies on him. "Temar, don't tug on my ears. Callie, don't hug me so tight. Paisley! What is my rule about tugging at my tail?" Nick then turned to Judy. "Carrots! Help!"

"What? Everyone is just showing how much they missed you." Judy said with a sly grin.

"Not cool, Judy. NOT. COOL." Nick shouted out.

After a few minutes of hugging the fox and asking him a 100 questions, the Hopps kids finally gave Nick his space. Judy even took the time to actually help Nick back up.

"Carrots, I love your siblings and all, but I can't keep dealing with being the center of attention." Nick said as he brushes the dust off his shirt.

"Funny. I always remember you enjoying being the center of attention." Judy said with a smirk.

"Ha!" Nick laughed before putting his finger on the tip of Judy's nose. "Like it isn't the same for you."

The two laughed some more. It was good for them to have this time together. To them, it felt like forever since they laughed and talked together.

"So Nick, is there... any 'other' reason that you came here?" Judy asked.

"You know why I'm here." Nick said to Judy. "I've come for the sweet stuff."

With that response, Judy blushed a bit. "Whaaa... what?"

"I need some of that sweet and juicy goodness." Nick said with a smirk.

"Ni... Nick!" Judy said blushing more. "That's a little forward to say it like th..." Judy was thinking by 'sweet stuff' and 'juicy goodness', he was referring to her. But then thought about what Nick really meant. "You were talking about my family's blueberries, were you?"

"See, you get me so well." Nick said with a big grin. He then started making his way to the kitchen. "Gonna raid your fridge now."

"O... kay?" Judy said as Nick leaves.

While Nick went to satisfy his blueberry cravings, Judy's sisters brought her to the den room in the house to talk some more. The fact that Nick was here after they were talking about him was a pretty good sign to start talking.

"So... Nick's come back." Daisy said with a smirk. "I must say, even if it's only been a year, the year's has been good on Nick."

"Daisy!" Judy said looking flustered.

"Sorry. It's just that... I knew Nick was a boy, but I didn't know Nick was a _boy_." Daisy said liking how Nick has aged.

"Yeah. He's kinda hot now." Abby said honestly.

"What? Don't tell me you three are into foxes now?" Judy asked.

"Maaaaaaybe..." Daisy, Abby, and Wendy said with wide grins.

Guess Judy wasn't the only one attracted to Nick. It looked like it was the same for her sisters. Judy wasn't too fond about that.

"Grrrrrrr..." Judy growled.

"Relax. We're not planning on stealing him away from you." Abby stated. "But we will tell you this."

"If you don't choose to get with Nick now..." Daisy said.

"... someone else might steal him away before you get the chance." Wendy said.

"Mmmmmmmhhh..." Judy muttered. "Does it have to be today?"

"Yes!" Judy's sisters said firmly.

As Daisy, Abby, and Wendy were trying to convince Judy, meanwhile, Nick was in the kitchen helping himself to a basket of blueberries. Coming into the kitchen was Greg again, who had brought three of his brothers. Eric, as well as the twins, Cole and Conner. Like Greg, Eric, Cole, and Conner were all super close to Nick.

"See dudes, I told you Nick was here." Greg said to his brothers while showing them Nick was in the kitchen.

"Nicky!" Eric, Cole, and Conner shouted out.

"Hey, guys! Long time, no see." Nick said greeting them. He then bumped first with all three of them and gave them an each a quick hug.

"Figures you would be here snacking on our blueberries." Eric said with a smirk.

"Hey! I haven't had your family's blueberries in over a year. To me, that's worse than almost anything." Nick stated as he pops a few more blueberries into his mouth.

"Same old Nick." Cole and Conner said in unison.

"Looking at you guys, you haven't changed much either. Not that I can't say the same for everyone." Nick stated. "A few of your siblings I remembered as babies have grown and the ones I knew that were older than me changed too. I mean, I ran into Edgar earlier and he's TOTALLY different. I mean he still wears mostly black, but he had a more positive cheery personality."

"Yeah. A few changes happened when you were gone." Eric stated.

"That so, huh?" Nick said before eating some more blueberries. "Well... I guess that's to be expected."

"You did kinda have an effect on everyone here." Greg stated.

"I affect everyone I meet." Nick said proudly. "I mean, I don't mean to brag, buuuuuuuut I tend to make everyone a better person." Nick then threw a blueberry up in the air and caught it with his mouth.

"Pretty sure that's bragging, bro." Conner said.

"Something that hasn't change from you." Cole said with a smirk.

The boys then did some laughing. As good as it was to catch up, the Hopps boys wanted to something. What was the reason for Nick showing up here?

"So Nicky, what's the reason you're here?" Greg asked. "I assume it's 1 of 3 reasons: 1.) You came to hang out with your bros. 2.) Our family's blueberries. Or 3.) You came to ask Judy to be your girlfriend."

"Be sure to answer _honestly_." Eric said.

"If you must know, it's 3." Nick answered. "I thought about it for a while and I want Judy to be my girlfriend."

"Oh. That's great to hear." Eric said happy for Nick.

"So... that's the reason. Of course, it's Judy." Greg said sounding a bit disappointed. "Would have like to hear it be the first reason, but... it's fine. Yeah, it's fine..." Greg was clearly upset by Nick's answered.

"Dude, let it go." Eric said to Greg to get over it.

"Fine. At least we're the second reason you're here, right?" Greg asked.

As Greg said that, Nick's eye widen. He then looked at his blueberries, then at the boys, then back at the blueberries, then at the boys again. Clearly, he was conflicted on rather the boys were the second reason or not.

"OH COME ON!" Greg shouted out.

"It's been a LONG time since I had these blueberries. They ruined other blueberries for me." Nick stated firmly.

"Well... now I'm starting to feel hurt as well." Eric said feeling the same way Greg was.

"Me too." Cole said feeling hurt as well.

"Same here." Conner said also feeling hurt.

"Can we focus on my thing, please?" Nick asked them. "I'm ready for Carrots and me to be a couple. No matter what. Uhhh... she doesn't have a boyfriend, does she?"

"Nope!" Greg, Eric, Cole, and Conner said as they shook their heads.

"Good." Nick said relief to hear that.

"Nick, if you are going to ask sis to be your girlfriend, then you know what you have to do first." Eric said.

"The one thing all boys must do when dating a girl." Conner said.

"Getting permission from her father." Nick and the Hopps boys said together.

For most cases, before a boy could date a girl, they had to gain the respect of her father. The father could determine whether the relationship would hold or not. Nick always had a decent relationship with Judy's dad, Stu. But would he be 100% okay with Nick dating his daughter?

"Is your dad gonna be okay with that?" Nick asked.

"Who knows? Dad tends to be a traditional bunny. So he might feel weird about a fox and a bunny." Greg stated.

"But then again, dad has changed after being friends with your parents." Eric said.

"Plus you're not just some fox. You're you." Cole said.

"So you are saying I should go for it and see how he feels about the idea." Nick said. The four boys all nodded. "*sigh* Well, guess I got nothing to lose. Cept the possible love of my life."

"It's a bit early to say that, isn't it?" Eric asked.

"Where's Mr. Hopps?" Nick asked.

"In the garage. I think he's still working on the trunk." Conner said.

"Okay. Thanks." Nick said as he put down the basket on the counter.

"It was fun catching up, but I need to get to talking to your old man." Nick said starting to be on his way. "Let's talk some more later."

As Nick was about to leave, Eric looked at the basket Nick ate the blueberries from. The basket that was filled with blueberries was now empty.

"Nick! You ate ALL the blueberries in this basket?!" Eric shouted out.

"I love your family's blueberries. You know that. THIS IS WHO I AM!" Nick shouted out boldly. Then he left the kitchen.

Nick knew that he had to talk to Stu about dating Judy at one point. So he might as well do it now. After walking for a few minutes, he made it to the garage. Nick sees the Hopps Family truck, but he doesn't see Stu.

"Mr. Hopps? Mr. Hopps?" Nick shouted out.

"Who's there?" A voice came from under the truck.

"It's me, Nick. Nick Wilde." Nick answered.

"NICK?!" The voice shouted out before hearing a loud clanking sound. "OWWW!"

Hearing that, Nick quickly ran to the truck and looked under it. There, he saw Stu sliding from under it and rubbing his forehead a bit. Stu was in his attire of a flannel shirt, overalls, and a green cap with the farm's name on it.

"Ugh... that's gonna leave a big bump." Stu said as he rubbed his forehead. He then looked up at Nick. "Well, I'll be. It IS you, Nick."

"Hey, Mr. H." Nick said happily.

"Come on. Bring it in." Stu said standing up and wanting a hug.

Nick then went over to Stu and hugged him.

"Been a while, hasn't it?" Nick asked Stu.

"It has." Stu said as he breaks the hug a bit. "Let me get a good look at ya." Stu noticed how much bigger Nick's gotten from the little kid he used to know. "You're looking more and more like your father every day."

"Thanks." Nick said with a smile.

Stu then lets go of Nick's arms and goes to his toolbox to get a white rag to whip his face with.

"So, how your family?" Stu asked.

"Everyone's great." Nick answered happily.

"Your dad's business?" Stu asked.

"Blooming and booming." Nick said.

"And the twins?" Stu asked.

"Happy, healthy, and growing a little everyday." Nick answered.

"That's good to hear." Stu said with a smile. "Us on the other hand, this point of the year is always make-it-or-break-it. Not selling enough fruits or vegetables could put us in a tight spot at the end of the year."

"Oh." Nick said surprise to hear that. "Should I be concern?"

"Naw. Don't be." Stu told Nick. "We always made it through in the end. So things aren't any different."

"If you say so." Nick said looking less worried.

"Now, what brings you here, my boy?" Stu asked.

"Well, that's why I came to talk to you about." Nick said.

Nick was feeling a bit nervous talking to Stu like this. He was never nervous of Stu before, but this time was a different story. He was going to ask permission to date Judy.

"This is about you and my daughter, isn't it?" Stu asked. Nick looked surprised to hear Stu say that. "Get that crate over there." Stu said to Nick while pointing at a wooden crate. "Let's sit down and talk."

Nick got the crate and placed it on the ground. Stu got another crate and did the same. The two then sat on the crates and faced each other. Nick really started to feel the tension.

"Nick, how long have you known Judy?" Stu asked.

"Ummm... about 4 years, sir." Nick answered.

"Sounds about right." Stu said. "Now, when Bon and I first met you and your family, we... were pretty scared."

"I know. You looked like you were about to jump out of your overalls." Nick said joking around a bit.

"That was because, for the longest time, this family has lived in a certain... 'order' things." Stu said honestly. "Be a bunny and only do what other bunnies do. Settle, farm, and stay away from predators. Especially foxes."

Nick flinched when Stu mention 'foxes'.

"I used to be okay with thinking that way. But then, after meeting your family, I felt thinking that way was... how you kids would say... _'Totally messed up, man.'_." Stu said. "We don't have to do what others do. We have to choose what we want to do. Just because we are bunnies, doesn't mean we have to think of foxes anything else but sneaky and untrustworthy. That's what Johnny, Frankie, and you taught us... and this family is grateful to you all for that."

"Mr. Hopps..." Nick said a bit surprised but flattered.

"Now, about you and my daughter." Stu said as he takes off his cap and starts brushing off some dirt from it. "Nick, were you aware that some boys have actually **tried** to ask Judy out."

"WHAT?!" Nick shouted out. He knew that Judy didn't have a boyfriend, but he knew nothing about other guys attempting to ask her out.

"Relax. Judy turned down each and every one of them." Stu replied.

"Oh thank god!" Nick said sounding VERY relieved about that.

"Pretty sure it was because she was saving herself for you." Stu said.

"Who... can say?" Nick said blushing a bit.

"Boy, you know it. I know it. Everyone knows it." Stu stated to the blushing fox. "A bunny with normal common sense wouldn't want her daughter anywhere near a fox. Let alone date one." Nick ears drooped and his head was down as he hears that. "But..." Nick's head went back up. "... anyone who still thinks that way is, how would your father put it, a _big idiot_."

"He does say that." Nick stated.

"Nick, I want my Jude to be happy, but I also don't want her to get hurt." Stu said.

"Sir, I would never do anything to hurt your daughter. You know that, right?" Nick asked Stu.

"Of course I do. But you should know, it won't be easy for you. Most mammals consider dating outside of your own species as taboo." Stu said. "People may see you two together and think that it's... revolting. Do you really think you can handle that? Just so you can be with my daughter."

"Absolutely." Nick answered without hesitation. "Mr. H, Carrots... uhhhh... Judy... is without a doubt, the most amazing person I've ever known. She saw the good in me right away and allowed me to stay myself. I can't say the same thing for anyone else. She's... the one I want to be with."

"And you're sure about this?" Stu asked.

"I am." Nick said nodded.

Nick had a determined and honest look on his face. Once Stu looked at that face, he knew that he had nothing to worry about.

"Well then, you have my blessing." Stu said

"Really?" Nick said surprised.

"Like I said, I want my Judy to be happy and I've never seen her happier than when she's with you." Stu said. "If you can promise that, then you can date her."

"You sure? 100%?" Nick asked wanting Stu to be really sure.

"110%." Stu said with a big smile.

"Thank you, Mr. H." Nick said bowing to Stu and feeling very grateful. Yet, He felt off on account of him getting his permission so easy. "So that's it?"

"That's it. What? Did you expect more?" Stu asked.

"Well... yeah. I practice this whole thing for like a month. I was gonna give you so many reasons why I wanted to date your daughter and I also expected you to give to the 'protective dad' speech. You know, ' _If you hurt my daughter, I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life._ '." Nick said imitating Stu a bit at the end.

"What? Nick, you should know that I care for you as if you were one of my own sons. I would never say that to you." Stu stated. He then said something else but in a more worried tone. "Besides, if I ever did... well... I feel that would give your parents an actual reason to... eat me."

"Whaaaaat?" Nick went. "Mr. Hopps, you know my parents won't... I mean they are super protective when it comes to me, but..." Nick didn't know how to properly put things. But he does know that he has the kind of parents that would do anything for him. "Ye... yeah. I won't argue with that thought."

Meanwhile, after Nick's talk with Stu, Judy was back in her room. She was deep in thoughts. Her ears were drooped down as she held and looked at a picture of her and Nick when they were younger. In the photo, she was in her police costume while Nick was in his scout uniform.

"Nick, you really had to come back in my life, did ya?" Judy said as she looked at the photo.

She then hears knocking on her door that causes her ears to go back up.

"Who is it?" Judy shouted out.

"There's a fox at your door." It was clearly Nick.

Nick and Judy have done this little thing before when they were 9. Judy thought it would be fun if they did a reenactment of that.

"A fox, you say?" Judy said smirking. "Oh dear. I don't know if I should open it."

"I wouldn't. He seems very mischievous." Nick said in a sly matter.

Judy put the picture frame back on the table and walked over to the door. She opened it to see Nick smirking slyly from the door.

"Hmmmmm. He doesn't seem mischievous at all." Judy stated continuing the charade.

"Looks can be deceiving." Nick said slyly as he leans down to Judy. "Careful. Bunnies don't let me get this close."

Judy then places her right paw on Nick's nose and said "Well then, it's a good thing I'm not like most bunnies." in a flirtatious matter.

The two then grinned at each other like they usually did.

"Are you gonna let me in?" Nick asked.

"Come on it." Judy said welcoming Nick into her room.

Nick happily walked into the room. As he did, he noticed the army of plushies on Judy's bed, the ZPD poster on her wall, the drawer, and the photos on top of it.

"Huh. Your room's nice. Pretty much as I expected it to look like." Nick said.

"Well, when mom and dad were able to save up some money. We were able to add more rooms to the burrow. So that's why most of us have our own rooms now." Judy stated. "I just design my room the way I wanted it to be."

"Nice." Nick said with a smile. His attention then went to the photo Judy was just looking at. "Oh. Look. You still have this old photo of us." Nick said as he picked it up.

"Of course. Those times were some of the best times of my life." Judy said honestly.

"Mine too." Nick said agreeing with Judy. "Oh. This reminds me." Nick then put the picture down on the drawer and then dug into his pocket. He pulled out a photo himself. "I thought you might want to see this."

"What's that?" Judy asked curious about the photo.

Nick handed to Judy. "A picture of Toddy and Vicky on their first birthday." Nick told her.

Judy looked at the picture. As Nick said, it was of his brother and sister, Toddy and Vicky, from their first birthday. They had birthday hats on and blueberry pie filling all over their faces. It was an adorable sight for Judy.

"Awwwwwwwwwww! So adorable!" Judy said in awe.

"I thought you might like it." Nick said smiling. "Mom said we couldn't get cake, but I assume she only said that because she wanted to have a picture like this with their faces covered in blueberry pie."

"Hee hee! Well... this proves that they are without a doubt that they're your brother and sister." Judy stated.

"As if there was doubt." Nick said proudly.

Judy then handed the picture back to Nick and he put it back into his pocket. Nick then looked at Judy's arm and noticed her bracelet. Seeing that, made him smile.

"You're are still wearing the bracelet." Nick stated while pointing at it.

"Oh. This? Of course." Judy told him. Judy then looked at Nick's arm and saw that he was still wearing his too. "You're still wearing yours too."

"Well yeah. I promised not to take it off, did I not?" Nick said to Judy with a grin. "I'm a proud fox that keeps his word."

"I'm surprised that you didn't break this one." Judy said recalling the first one she made for him was crushed.

"I protected this bracelet with my life." Nick said boldly.

"Heehee! That's a bit of an over-exaggeration." Judy stated.

"I never over-exaggeration, Carrots." Nick said firmly. He then lost some of his firmness. " By the way, do you have a cell phone?"

"Oh. Actually, I do." Judy said as she digs into her pocket and takes out a black and orange flip phone. "I just got it a few months back and..."

Nick then yoinked Judy's phone from her.

"I need this for a minute." Nick said holding Judy's phone up in the air.

"Hey! Give that ba..." Judy shouted while reaching for her phone. But her height didn't make it easy. Next thing Nick did was give Judy his cell phone. A white and green one. "Huh?"

"Put your number in my contacts. I'll put mine in yours. Then I'll give you your phone back." Nick said to Judy.

Judy was a bit confused at first, but understand what Nick wanted her to do and took his cellphone, opened it up, and put her number in Nick's contact. Nick did the same thing. After that, the two gave each other their phones back.

"There. Now we can call each other whenever we want." Nick said with a smile.

At that, there was now a bit of a silence. Both Nick and Judy felt a small bit of tension. Both of them pretty much knew what they should talk about.

"Nick, what are you really doing here?" Judy asked.

"If you have to ask, I'm pretty sure you know why." Nick replied.

"I think I do. But if you don't tell me, how will I know I'm right?" Judy asked.

Nick walked up close to Judy. Close enough to only be a few inches apart from each other. Nick looked into Judy's amethyst eyes while Judy looked into Nick's emerald eyes.

"Remember our promise? On the night of the Spring Dance?" Nick asked Judy.

The dance was one of the most important moments of Nick and Judy's life. It was not only the same night they admitted they had feelings for each other. It was also the night of their first kiss. Ask the promise...

"We said when we are a bit older and we feel that the time was right, we should try to get together. Well... we're older now and I... I think I'm ready, Judy." Nick said.

"Right... that promise..." Judy said looking down.

"Something wrong?" Nick asked looking concerned.

"No. Well... maybe one thing." Judy told him.

"Judy, I know the reason why we didn't get together before was that we were still confused about things. We were still little kids after all." Nick stated.

"I know, Nick. But Nick, you remember the other reason, right? Whether we like each other or not, we are still different species. That hasn't change." Judy stated.

"I know... and I don't care." Nick said. "I don't care that we are different species or what others think about me. I want us to be together."

"You really want that?" Judy asked with widening eyes.

"Yes. I want us to be boyfriend and girlfriend. No space in the middle." Nick said with a smile.

Nick was so forward when he said that. Judy expected him to say that to her. But not in the way he did. He was always used to calling her his girl friend **with** a space in the middle. But never without. You think Judy would be happy, but really... she still had a scared look on her face.

"Are you sure you really want that?" Judy asked sounding serious.

"Like I said to your dad, absolutely!" Nick said boldly. "Like I said, I don't care what others think about me."

"But I care what others think about you." Judy stated firmly getting Nick's attention a bit. "You have it hard enough. With others thinking you aren't trustworthy cause you're a fox. Like... the time you were muzzled. I can't promise things will be easy for you or me. So... I'll ask you again. Are you SURE you really want that?"

Nick was silent for a moment. Judy always had a habit of worrying about Nick, even when he told her not to. Next thing to happen was Nick leaning down to Judy and both of their noses touching. Judy started to blush madly while Nick just seems to have a calm smile.

"NICK!? What do you think you're doing?" Judy said as she frailed her arms around.

"What does it look like?" Nick asked with a smirk.

"It looks likes **your** nose is touching **my** nose. This is basically nose kissing." Judy stated still frantic.

"Is that a problem?" Nick asked still smirking.

"It... it kinda is." Judy said firmly.

"If then, then why haven't you moved yet? I'm not forcing this on you." Nick said to Judy. "You know you like this."

"Th... that's beside the point." Judy said still blushing.

"If it bothers you so much, then just move away." Nick told Judy.

Judy did turn around afterward, but she took her sweet time doing it. After that, she rubbed her nose with both of her paws. She was still pretty red-faced.

"After that, can you honestly say we should ignore our feelings?" Nick asked. "Carrots, I'm done pretending that nothing's there. I don't care if it's weird. I don't care what the rest of the world thinks. What I care about..." Nick then held both of Judy's paws. "... is you."

"Nick..." Judy said looking at Nick with a sparkle in her eyes.

"So how about we just stop thinking with our heads and start thinking with our hearts. I already told you what heart thinks. So was does yours think?" Nick asked Judy.

"My heart..." Judy paused before saying the rest. "My heart... wants to be with you, Nick."

Nick's heart swelled after hearing Judy said that.

"But..." Judy added.

Then it shrunk again.

"But what?" Nick asked.

"Nick, things aren't like when we were little kids. We can't just take trips to Zootopia and Bunnyburrow back and forward anymore. You know, right?" Judy asked him.

"I know. But I think I have a solution to that." Nick said.

"Huh?" Judy said as her ears went up.

"How about you come with me and stay at Zootopia?" Nick asked.

Hearing Nick ask her that, Judy let go of Nick's paws jumped back with a shocked look on her face.

"WHAT?! St... st... stay at Zootopia?!" Judy shouted out still shocked.

"I not talking about a long time. I mean just staying for the Summer." Nick stated. "With Summer Vacation here, it's the perfect time. Think about it. If you spend the Summer in Zootopia, we could see each other every day. Wouldn't that be perfect?"

"That does sound nice. You know I always liked our visit to the city." Judy admitted. "But Nick, can I really just go to Zootopia with you? What about my family? Are my parents really gonna be okay with this?"

"Apparently you forgot that I come with everything." Nick said with a smirk. "See, after talking with your dad, I ran into your big sister, Gwen. You know, the second oldest sibling in the family. Babysits for a living."

"I know my own family, Slick." Judy said firmly.

"Anyway, she told me this **great** news. She got accepted to ZSU. As in Zootopia State University." Nick stated. "She also got a lease for an apartment that just happens to be close to my neighborhood."

Judy's eyes widen from what Nick says.

"Once I asked her if she could have one extra roommate and getting the green light from both your mom and dad, you have more than enough reasons to go to Zootopia for the Summer." Nick stated. "Unless you have a very good excuse, which I really doubt, you no reason to not come with me to Zootopia."

At this point, Nick was right. Judy couldn't think of a good excuse at all. In fact, spending the whole Summer with Nick was too perfect to pass on.

"You really thought about everything, did ya? You're really trying hard for me not to say no." Judy said with a light smile.

"So is that a yes?" Nick asked with a wide smile.

"I'll only ask one more thing." Judy said with one finger up. She then walked closer to Nick and looks at him in the eyes. "Nick, are you okay with having a dumb bunny for a girlfriend?"

Nick held Judy's paws and said "Only if you're okay with having a sly fox for a boyfriend.".

With that said, Judy went in for another hug which Nick happily accepted. Cause this meant that the two of them wanted to make things work and be a couple. Finally.

"So, shall we tell everyone the good news?" Nick asked Judy.

"Nick, do you **honestly** believe that no one was listening in on our conversation?" Judy asked Nick with a straight-face. Judy then turned to her door. "YOU ALL CAN'T MIND YOUR BUSINESS, CAN YOU?"

"HEY! WE'RE JUST LOOKING OUT FOR YOU, JUDY?" Shouted Daisy from outside the door.

"CONGRATS, BY THE WAY!" Shouted out Abby.

"GLAD THAT YOU TWO ARE FINALLY A THING!" Shouted out Eric.

"IT'S ABOUT TIME!" Shouted out Greg.

"*sigh* Even when things are different..." Nick said with an annoyed.

"... some things stay the same." Judy said also looking annoyed.

The next day, Nick, Judy, and the whole Hopps family were at the train station. Nick and Judy had already packed everything and put it on the train to Zootopia. The same for Judy's 18-year-old sister with light brown fur, Gwendolyn or Gwen for short. She was leaving for Zootopia too. Everyone was already saying their goodbyes.

"Got everything, you two?" Bonnie asked Judy and Gwen.

"Yes, mom." Judy and Gwen said in a monotone matter.

"Be sure to call us everyday. Both of you." Stu said.

"Yes, dad." Judy and Gwen said once again in a monotone matter.

"Also, be sure to..." Bonnie said before being halted.

"Mom, Dad, we'll be fine." Gwen said to them.

"So don't worry about us." Judy said.

As Judy and Gwen talked to their parents, most of Judy's little brothers and sisters were climbing on Nick and holding him tight. Clearly, they didn't want Nick to leave let.

"Can't you stay a little longer?" One of Judy's brothers went.

"Don't go." One of Judy's sisters went.

"Just a few more days. A week, maybe?" One of Judy's other sisters went.

"No can do. I got my own brother and sister to look after too, you know." Nick told them. "Now can you all let go?"

The disappointed bunnies let go of the fox but were still sad to see him leave. Greg went over to Nick and wanted to say something to him before they left.

"You do have all our contact numbers now, right?" Greg asked.

"Just the ones I can fit in." Nick said.

"Two words. Call. Me." Greg said firmly.

"I will. Promise." Nick said a little frightened.

"Good." Greg said to Nick.

Nick then joined Judy and Gwen as they were all ready to leave. The two were giving Stu and Bonnie one final goodbye hug.

"You two, take care now." Stu said while hugging both his daughter.

"We'll be fine. Don't worry." Gwen said happily.

"Love you, mom and dad." Judy said happily.

The two parents then let go of their daughter and turned to Nick.

"Now Nicholas, promise you'll take care of our little Jude." Stu said to Nick using his first name.

"Promise." Nick said standing up straight. "But you both should already know, Judy can take care of herself pretty well."

Stu and Bonnie looked at each other and smile cause they knew Nick was right. Judy had always been strong enough to take care of herself. But it eases the both of them to know that Judy has Nick.

"Okay. The train's about to leave. Let's get our butts on it." Gwen said already by the train door.

"Right." Nick and Judy said nodding to Gwen.

"Shall we?" Nick asked Judy with his arm out.

"We shall." Judy said as she grabs on to Nick's arm with a smile.

Nick and Judy headed into the train as it was about to move. All the Hopps waved goodbye. Many of them were teary. Especially Stu. Nick, Judy, and Gwen waved goodbye from their seats until they couldn't see them anymore. After that, they just sat and wait for the train to hit its destination. Zootopia. Where Nick and Judy are planning to spend their whole summer together. This was the day Nick and Judy's _Endless Summer_ began.

 **That's the end of this chapter. So, it finally happened Nick and Judy are a couple. As happy as the two are, will they be able to make things work? And what no adventures wait for them back at Zootopia. Wait until the next upcoming chapters to see what's in store. Til then, see ya.**


	3. Reconnecting

**Chapter 3! Chapter 3! Time for us to get to chapter 3. As all of you that read the last chapter, Nick and Judy are now a couple and Judy is staying at Zootopia for the Summer with her older sister, Gwen. So that basically tells you that this story is gonna mostly take place in Zootopia. Anyway, this is the 'reintroducing' chapter. Meaning this is the chapter where I reintroduce characters from the last story. From characters from the movie to the character of my story itself. You also get to see what they were up to during Judy's absence. So it should be nice to hear from them all again. I'm pretty excited about this chapter. So let's get to it.**

* * *

In the Zootopia Train Station, the train from Bunnyburrow finally made it to Zootopia. Out the train came out Nick, Judy, and Gwen, happy to finally make it to their destination. They took their bags out of the train and started walking outside the train station and into the city. The three all notice that the city is still as busy as ever. Judy's happy to know that the city hasn't changed over the year she hasn't visited.

"Same ol' Zootopia, huh?" Judy said to Nick.

"Yep! Busy as always. Animals going left to right just to get to where they want to go." Nick said with a smile.

"Hmm. Good to know. I was a little worry that the city would change a bit from the last time I was here." Judy said with a smile.

"Alright. Wanna head to my place?" Nick asked Judy. "My family would love to see you again."

"Yeah. Let's go right now." Judy said excitedly.

"Hold it!" Gwen said halting Nick and Judy. "First things first, we need to head over to the apartments and unpack our stuff."

"What? Now?" Judy said looking disappointed. "But I want to see Mr. and Mrs. Wilde. And the twins."

"It can wait. First, the two us need to settle in." Gwen said being firm with Judy. "Remember, you're only allowed to stay here for the Summer because I'm here. That means between the two of us, I'm the boss. So as the boss, **I** am telling **you** we need to go to our new apartment and unpack."

Judy was mad at Gwen and puffed out her cheeks. A little habit she always had when she was mad about something... or mad at someone.

"It's fine, Carrots." Nick said to Judy while placing his paw on her shoulder. "Gwen's right. You should go get settled in. We'll meet up at my place later, okay?"

"Okay." Judy said with happy as if her anger had already faded away. Guess that was the effect of having a boyfriend now.

Nick had his backpack on and was picked up a big wooden crate with a few stuff in it. Mostly a basket or two of blueberries.

"Alright. I'm heading home now. Still remember the way?" Nick asked if she still remembers how to get to his house.

"With my eyes closed." Judy said proudly.

"Good then." Nick said happy that she still knows the way.

Nick then lightly nuzzled Judy's left cheek with his right cheek. There was some blushing from Judy, but she seems to like it.

"See you in a bit." Nick said to Judy with a smile.

"Okay." Judy replied to Nick smiling back at him.

Nick took his stuff and went on his way. As he did, Judy looked at Nick in a lovestruck daze. Gwen noticed and tried to hide her wide grin with her paw.

"Well well. I didn't know you two were so far in on your relationship already." Gwen said to Judy slyly. "Then again, you two might have already been that far."

"Are we gonna head to the apartments or what?!" Judy said sounding flustered.

"Alright. Alright. We'll head there right now." Gwen said to Judy. She then took out a paper map from her pocket. "Just... as soon as I can figure out where it was. Ummm... was it this way..." Gwen turned to her left. "... or that way?" Gwen then turned to her right.

"You seriously don't even know where it is?" Judy asked started to get mad.

"Well excuuuuuuuse me. Not my fault you have been to the city more times than I have." Gwen stated looking mad as well.

After getting some well-needed directions, Judy and Gwen were finally able to their current new home. Lowgrass Apartments. A 3-story brick building known for renting rooms for a super cheap price. Many of the people who lived in these apartments were college students that didn't want to live in the dormitories. After signing a few paperwork and the final stuff for the lease, they got their key and headed to their new room on the second floor. As they walked down the hall, they tried to find their new room.

"207, 208, annnnd... here we are. 209." Gwen said as she and Judy stopped at a door with the number 209. "This will be our new home. Well, you for the Summer and me for the next four years."

"Come on. Come on. Let's get in already." Judy said sounding eager.

"Okay. Okay." Gwen said trying to get Judy to ease up.

Gwen put the key into the door and opened it. To both Judy and Gwen's surprise, their new place was... small. Like... only one room with two beds, a window, some cabinets, and a desk. This apartment was more of a dorm room.

"This place is..." Judy said.

"... kinda small." Gwen said finishing Judy's words.

The two bunnies walk into the center of the room between the two beds.

"No bathroom, no kitchen, just a minifridge, a desk, and these two beds." Judy said.

"Well, these apartments ARE meant for college students or people with low budgets. That's probably why this place was on the cheap side." Gwen stated.

" _Cheap_ being the keyword." Judy said.

"Noticed something else, Jude?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah. It's quiet. Very quiet." Judy said as her ears twitched.

"If it was our house, we would be hearing screaming and yelling every hour on the hour. But here, nothing." Gwen stated.

"Nothing at all." Judy said.

Judy and Gwen were not used to this kind of quiet. It's rare when you live in a house with almost 300 people. So to them, this peace and quiet were...

"Perfect." Judy and Gwen said happily as they both lay flat on their beds.

"This is great. No dealing with our crazy family." Judy said looking pretty pleased. "Just the two of us."

"Yeah. This place might be small, but I think we can make it work." Gwen said thinking that this place would be okay.

"Okay. Now that we've had our new room," Judy said as she gets up from the bed. "I'm gonna go meet up with Nick and..."

"Freeze!" Gwen said with her paw up and halting Judy from leaving. "We still need to unpack our stuff. Also, we need to go shopping for more stuff. Extra clothes, containers, food, a TV..."

"What?! Do we have to do **all** of that now?!" Judy asked not wanting to do any of that yet.

"The sooner, the better." Gwen said firmly.

Judy's ears drooped down and she started looking really sad. She really wanted to go to Nick's place. Gwen noticed the look on Judy's face and could tell why she looked sad.

"You know what? You can go. I know you don't want to stay away from your _boyfriend_." Gwen said with a smirk.

"He's not my..." Judy said angrily. Her anger quickly when she realized something. "Oh wait? He **is** my boyfriend. Heh heh! I'm so used to answering that in a different way. Nick's my boyfriend. I have a boyfriend."

Judy started giggling even more now and getting all gitty. She then happily left the apartment still saying the word, boyfriend. Gwen felt happy for her, but a bit jealous.

"Must be nice to be her. Maybe I should try and get a boyfriend in the city." Gwen said to herself.

As Gwen thought that, Judy quickly ran to Nick's neighborhood. At this point, Judy has been to Zootopia so many times, that she knows where to go and how to get there. It also wasn't that long of a walk for her. Only took her about 10 to 15 minutes to make it to the Wilde's home. As she faced the front of the house, Judy started reminiscing about the good times she had with Nick in her childhood. Her playing with Nick, having dinner with the family, and the Zoo-Burrows Scouts. All good times. She was used to the house when it was still part tailoring shop, but it was good to know that the house hadn't changed much from the last time she saw it.

"Here we are. Nick's house." Judy thought as she stands in the front of the door.

Not wasting any time, she knocked on the doors rapidly and waited for someone to answer. Opening the door was Nick's mom, Frankie.

"Well, I'll be. It's Judy." Frankie said with a smile. "Nick said you would show up."

"Mrs. Wilde!" Judy said happily. She then walked up to Frankie and hugged her. "It's been a long time."

"Glad to see that you are still well." Frankie said glad that Judy was doing alright.

"You too." Judy said to Frankie. She then let go of Frankie.

"Well, don't be shy. Come on in." Frankie said moving away from the doorway so Judy could come inside the house.

As she goes into the living room, she sees John sitting on the couch.

"Mr. Wilde!" Judy said happily.

"Judy!" John said as he gets out the couch. Judy then walked over to John to hug him as well. "Haha! The little bunny I knew since she was 9 has grown a bit. Still have a spring in your step, I see."

"You know it, sir." Judy said as she breaks the hug.

"Sooooo, Nick gave us the good news. You and your sister, Gwen, are here for the Summer." John said.

"Uh huh." Judy said while nodding. "Technically, Gwen's staying for college. It's cause of that, I could stay for the Summer."

"I see. Also..." John said before starting to have a wide grin. "... Nick gave us the _other_ good news."

Judy started to blush madly. Both John and Frankie noticed and laughed a bit.

"No need to feel embarrassed, sweetheart. The two of us already had a feeling that you two would get together sooner or later." John stated.

"Honestly, we're surprised that it actually took so long." Frankie stated.

"And the two of you are okay with this?" Judy asked.

"Of course. Whatever makes our boy happy. And that's you." Frankie said.

"Warned you about that _Wilde Charm_ , didn't I?" John said looked down at Judy with a sly grin.

Judy responded by blushing even more. This wasn't the first time John mentioned the _Wilde Charm_ to Judy. Apparently, the _Wilde Charm_ is what any of the Wilde men in the family have. It works really well when it comes to swooving the ladies. At that moment, Nick came down from the stairs.

"Pop, please don't try to scare her off." Nick said not wanting Judy to feel flustered. As Judy sees Nick, her ears perk back up and she had a happy smile on her face.

"Sorry, son. Your mother and I just wanted to let Judy knows what to expect." John said with a smile.

"Thanks. But I'll think she'll be fine." Nick told him. Nick then walked up to Judy with a big smile. "Hey, Carrots."

"Hey, Slick." Judy responded back with a smile.

"Even if it's only been less than an hour, I missed you." Nick said to Judy.

"I missed you too." Judy said happily.

As the two gazed at each other's eye and had their moment together, they both remembered that they weren't the only ones in the room. John and Frankie were still there. Looking like a mix of happy and gitty for their son. Nick was feeling that his moment with Judy was ruined.

"Mom, Pop, do you mind?" Nick asked as he quickly tilted his head wanting them to leave the room.

"Oh. Sorry, sweetie." Frankie said realizing that.

"Yeah. We'll leave you two alone." John said as he and Frankie begin to leave the room. "Good seeing you again, Judy."

John and Frankie then left. Or at least that's what it seemed like. Both Nick and Judy didn't really buy that they actually completely left the room.

"We know that you two are still there." Nick shouted out.

"I have rabbit ears and he has a fox nose." Judy stated.

"Sorry! Sorry!" John and Frankie shouted out before leaving for real this time.

"Your parents haven't changed at all." Judy stated.

"Yep. Not. One. Bit." Nick said sounding like he wasn't all okay with that fact. "Anyway, did you and Gwen finished packing?"

"Not exactly. We got our apartment and put some of our stuff up, but she wanted us to get a bunch of other stuff too. It would have taken hours to do it all. Lucky for me, Gwen was nice enough to do that on her own so I could meet up with you." Judy stated to Nick.

"Good to know. I always liked Gwen." Nick said glad that Judy's here because of her.

"Well, if there is one thing families like to do, it's making the other members of their family happy." Judy said.

"I agree with that." Nick said as he has both of his heads on the back of his head. He then realized something. "Oh. That's right!" Nick then lean down a bit to Judy's level of vision. "Carrots, I think I know something that might make you really happy."

"What?" Judy asked sounding really curious.

"Wait here." Nick said before dashing off.

Judy just took Nick's word and waited for him to come back. A took a few seconds, but Nick came back.

"Oooooooh, Juuuuuuuudy?" Nick sang in a jolly matter. He then came back into the room, holding both of his baby siblings. "Toddy! Vicky! Look who it is. It's Judy and she's here for the Summer. Say hi."

"JuJu!" Todd and Vicky said both reaching out to the bunny.

Seeing Todd and Vicky filled Judy with overwhelming joy. She had a wide grin on her face while holding her cheeks with her paws.

"OHHHH MYYYY GOOOOOOOSHHHH!" Judy wailed. She then quickly ran to them. "Toddy! Vicky! How are you? Look how big you have gotten." Judy hasn't really seen Todd or Vicky in a long time. Around the time they were just being born. So she was more than happy to see the two baby foxes again. She held one each of their paws. "You two are sooooo adorable." Judy then looked up to Nick. "Can I hold them?"

"Which one first?" Nick asked.

"Vicky." Judy answered.

"Okay. Careful now." Nick said as he slowly hands Vicky to Judy. "Got her?"

"Got her." Judy said holding the baby vixen. Judy looked at Vicky with a smile as she slowly rocked her. "Hey there, Vicky! How have you been?"

"Aba baba." Vicky babbled to Judy.

"Awwwww!" Judy said holding Vicky close to her cheek. " I know I already have over a hundred sisters, but if I could, I would trade them all for you."

"Judy, we already had the discussion several times. No trades." Nick stated.

"I know. I know." Judy told Nick. "Can't blame a girl for trying."

As Nick still held on to Todd, It seems like he was trying to reach out to Judy.

"JuJu! JuJu!" Todd went with his paws out.

"I think Toddy wants his turn." Nick said to Judy.

"Oh right. Switch!" Judy said wanting them to switch babies.

Nick and Judy then carefully switch the babies they were holding. Nick held Vicky now, while Judy held Todd. Todd seems to adore being held by Judy.

"Hey, Toddy. You're such a cutie." Judy said to him as she lightly tickled his nose. Todd responded by giggling.

"Toddy seems to like you." Nick stated.

"Well, he wouldn't be the first fox to enjoy my company. Now would he?" Judy asked Nick with a smirk.

"Hehe! No he wouldn't." Nick said since he was the first fox to enjoy Judy's company.

"So Nick, any differences between Toddy and Vicky? You know, not including the obvious one." Judy asked.

"Oh. Well, as you probably guess, the minis have a big fondness for me. If I'm gone for too long, they usually get fussy about it. But if I'm still around, they behave better." Nick stated. "As for differences, Todd's a bit more of a troublemaker while Vicky's more of the sensitive one."

"Ah. I s..." Before Judy could finish her words, Todd was biting on Judy's paws. Todd's teeth were still baby teeth, so they didn't hurt that much. But it still caught Judy by surprise. "Hey!"

"Sorry! Sorry! Should have warned you. Todd's currently in his teething phase, so he can be a bit... bitey." Nick stated feeling he should have mentioned that sooner.

"So I noticed." Judy said looking a bit mad as she takes her paw out of Todd's mouth. But as she looked at Todd's cute face and couldn't stay mad at him. She then nuzzled his cheeks a bit. "But he soooooo cute. So I forgive him."

"Suddenly, I'm feeling jealous." Nick said feeling that his ego was damaged.

"Now now! You're cute too, Nicky." Judy said with a grin.

Nick's ear flickered a bit when he heard that. Judy almost **never** calls him cute intentionally. But things must be different now that they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Still, Nick had a wide grin on his face.

"Say that again." Nick said with that wide grin of his.

"Easy, Nicky. I don't want you to get a big head like you already have." Judy said to Nick.

"Come on. As your boyfriend, you're obligated to call me cute." Nick stated. He then looked at his siblings. "Isn't that right, guys?"

Vicky and Toddy didn't respond. Vicky just responded by sucking her thumb and Todd was lightly chewing on Judy's paw again.

"Nick, they're babies. Pretty sure they don't know the rules for a boyfriend and a girlfriend yet." Judy stated.

"Pretty sure by the way they are now, they must be hungry." Nick said to Judy. Nick then had an idea. "Oh. Let's take them to the kitchen. I know just what to feed them."

"Alright." Judy said while nodding.

So Nick and Judy headed to the kitchen to get some for the twins to snack on. Judy held both of them while Nick checked the fridge.

"I know just what to give the minis." Nick said getting something out of the fridge. He took out a small basket of blueberries. "Their first taste of the blueberries from your family's farm. These two are gonna love them."

"Not surprised that you took some much from us before you left." Judy stated knowing how much Nick loves her family's blueberries.

"I didn't take **that** much." Nick said.

"Nick, you took 4 baskets, six jars of jam, and three pies. Plus, you ate one of the pies while we were on the train." Judy stated.

"Hey! It's been a year. I was NOT gonna take that chance again." Nick said firmly. He then picked up a blueberry from the basket and plopped it into his mouth.

"Of course you weren't." Judy said believing him. "Now, how about letting these two try one before you eat them all."

"Right. Right." Nick said actually agreeing with Judy. "Todd, Vix, wanna try something yummy?" Nick then got closer to Todd and Vicky holding two blueberries for them to trying. "Open up."

Todd and Vicky opened their mouths and Nick plopped a blueberry in each of their mouths. As the pups chew and taste the blueberries, after swallowing them, it was like the two of them had stars in their ears. It was like they had never tasted anything like them in their 1-year-old lives.

"Ohhhhhh! Hahahaha!" The twins were happy as they clapped their paws. A good sign that they loved the blueberries.

"No surprise. They love them." Judy said with a smile.

"I thought they would." Nick said smiling as well.

"Murr! Murr!" The twins went implying that they wanted to have 'more' blueberries.

"More? Okay." Nick said willing to let them have a few more. He then brought the basket over to them. "Just a bit more, okay?"

A 'bit' wasn't in Todd or Vicky vocabulary yet. The two little fox pups pretty much got handsy with the basket and took quite a lot of the blueberries. Enough to reduce the basket to half the amount it had. Seeing that, Nick immediately move the basket away from them.

"HEY! HEY! I said a **bit** more. Not the whole basket." Nick said firmly to the twins.

As Nick move the basket away from them, the twins got a little fussy. They still wanted more of the blueberries. Even if their faces were stained with blueberry juice all over.

"Murr! Murr!" The twins said looking a bit angry.

"No! No! You both had enough. These things aren't as easy to get any time you want. Plus you will spoil your dinner." Nick said firmly and strictly.

Both Todd and Vicky crossed their arms, not too happy with their brother.

"Oh boy. They look mad." Judy stated.

"I know. But I still have to keep my foot down." Nick said still sounding strict.

"You just don't want them to have all the blueberries to themselves." Judy said with a sly grin.

"That... is only half of the point." Nick told her.

"Yeah. Sure it is." Judy said with a hint of sarcasm.

Nick took a good look at his siblings and notice that they were quite messy from eating the blueberries.

"Ah jeez! Look at these two. Let's get them cleaned up." Nick said to Judy.

"Okay." Judy said agreeing.

Judy and Nick put the twins down in their booster chairs. As Nick wiped the blueberry juice from their faces, they still had their arms crossed and looked pretty mad.

"Listen, you two. I don't mean to be strict. It's just that since I'm your big brother, it's my job." Nick said to the twins as he finishes cleaning up Todd. "I love you two and I'm just trying to look out for you." Nick then finish cleaning up Vicky. "I hope you can both understand."

Todd and Vicky stopped looking mad at Nick and, in some way, seem to understand him. Guess they couldn't stay mad at their big brother.

"Bubba." Todd said looking happy again.

"Bubba." Vicky said looking happy as well.

"Good. I guess you do understand." Nick said smiling. "You know what..." Nick then walked back to the blueberry basket on the table and took two more blueberries. He then walked back to Todd and Vicky. "... you two can have **one** more blueberries."

The babies seemed happy to have another blueberry.

"Savor it." Nick said while pointing at the two of them before feeding them.

After both of them were given a blueberry, Todd and Vicky lightly chewed on them. Doing what Nick said about savoring them. For babies, they were actually pretty smart listeners.

"Good." Nick said while patting Todd and Vicky's head. "See? You two got an awesome big bubba, don't ya?"

Judy was amazed at how well Nick handled being a big brother. She remembered how worried he was the first time. Now it seems like she worried for nothing. She couldn't help by smile to see how he took care of the twins.

Later, Nick and Judy picked up the twins and put them in their playpen in the living room.

"Ugh! It's hard to be strict with the minis. It's not just because they're still babies, but they are already close to acting like me." Nick stated to Judy.

"The apples don't fall too far from the tree." Judy said to Nick. "Remember, genetics. I just wonder where you and the two of them get it from. Your mom's side or your dad's side?"

"Both." Nick answered.

"Oh." Judy said a bit surprised by Nick's straight answer.

"Yeah. I got both mom AND pop's traits. Meaning the minis are on the same boat I'm on." Nick stated.

"You... have a point." Judy admitted. "But that's not a bad thing. Your brother and sister would be lucky to be like your parents... and you."

"You're not just saying that to make me happy, are you?" Nick asked with a sly grin and his tail wagging.

"Do you believe me?" Judy asked also with a sly grin.

"Yes. Yes, I do." Nick replied.

Nick then held Judy in her arms. The two's eyes then met. As Nick lowered his head, he was planning to kiss Judy. The two close their eyes and planned to kiss... when suddenly... an electric ringtone played. It was Judy's phone. It pretty much interrupting the kiss.

"Sorry. That's my phone." Judy said to Nick apologetic.

"They could have waited at least one more second." Nick said looking mad.

Judy get's her phone from her pocket and says "This better not be my dad again." Judy looked at the contact of the phone call and saw the name, Sharla. "Oh! It's Sharla."

"Sharla?" Nick said looking surprised to hear that name.

Sharla was a girl black sheep from Bunnyburrow that was really good friends with Judy. She was also friends with Nick as well. The question was, why was she calling Judy now? Judy picked up the call to answer her.

"Hey, Sharla. What's up?" Judy said. "..." "Yes, I'm not at Bunnyburrow at the moment. I'm staying at Zootopia for the Summer with Gwen." "..." "Also, one more thing to tell you." Judy looked at Nick before saying what she needed to say to Sharla. "Nick and I... are boyfriend and girlfriend now."

" _AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_ " Sharla screamed loud enough that even Nick heard her.

"Jeez! Did you put her on speaker?" Nick asked Judy since Sharla spoke so loud.

"Surprisingly... no." Judy answered Nick. She then went back to taking to Sharla on the phone. "Sharla, calm down." "..." "I know." "..." "Yeah, you do that. I'll talk to you later, okay?" "..." "Bye, Sharla." Judy then hanged up her phone, flipped it close, and put it back into her pocket. She then looked back at Nick. "Soooooooo... Sharla's gonna go tell everybody in Bunnyburrow now."

"Figures." Nick said not surprised.

"But she was happy about the news." Judy stated with a smile.

"That's good to hear." Nick said with a smile.

"Oh. Speaking about friends, how's the old gang?" Judy asked curious about her old friends.

"That's right. You haven't seen them in a while." Nick said realizing that. "Wanna meet up with them?"

"Yeah!" Judy said eagerly.

"Kay." Nick said before getting out his cellphone. "I'll text everyone to meet up. Just give me a minute."

It took Nick a few minutes to text everyone. After his friends responded with an "Ok.", he put his phone and told Judy.

"Alright. We got the green light." Nick said to Judy with a smile. "I didn't tell them you were here in the city so I could keep it a surprise."

"Ooh! Good idea." Judy said before giggling a bit. "I can't wait to see the look on their faces."

"We're gonna meet them at this new juice bar that opened up while you were gone." Nick told Judy.

"Sounds good. I could go for something to drink." Judy stated to Nick.

Nick and Judy then say goodbye to the twins and made their way to the juice bar in the city. The juice bar that Nick was referring to was called "The Wild Jungle Juice and Smoothie Bar." It was quite a popular spot for teens to go and enjoy smoothies and specialty juices. Nick and his friends happen to go here all the time as their new hangout spot.

As Nick and Judy arrived, they both notice the place was pretty packed. Filled with many kids around their ages, both prey and predators. There was even some lively music playing in the background.

"Welcome to the _Wild Jungle Juice and Smoothie Bar_." Nick said with open arms as they head more inside.

"Lively place." Judy said looking around and liking the atmosphere.

"The gang and I hang out here all the time. It's kind of our new hangout spot." Nick stated as he looked around the bar. He was trying to see if the others were here yet. And with his luck... "Look!" Nick said pointing at a big set of furniture chairs, a wooden table, and a big couch were mammals around their age. "There they are."

Near that table from the distance were Nick and Judy's longtime Zootopia friends. Finnick, Benjamin, Mervin, Falisha, Ronnie, and Audran. The six of them were all just having juice together as they wait for Nick.

Finnick Fawks, wearing a black shirt, blue shorts, and headphones around his neck, was a fennec fox that had a height as short as his temper. One thing that Finnick loves more than anything is money. But even with that and his temper, he is actually really close friends with Nick since they have a lot in common. He considers himself to be Nick's best friend (on the boy list). While rough around the edges, Finnick is actually quite a good guy and after being friends with everyone else, he plans to stay that way.

Benjamin Clawhauser, wearing a green polo shirt and tan pants, was a cheetah who was a bit on the chubby side. Because of his weight, he's known to be slower than most cheetahs. Yet, he makes up for it with his cheery and uplifting personality. Benjamin, also going by Ben or Benji by his friends, is on really good term with both Nick and Judy. He has a tendency to 'ship' Nick and Judy since he thinks the two of them were meant for each other. Benji has a sweet tooth and loves doughnuts. The only thing he loves more is hanging out with his friends. He is one of the nicest people anyone could ever meet.

Mervin Howlino, wearing a black vest over a blue and white striped shirt, baggy blue jeans, and blue dye and the tip of the tip of his black hair, was a hyena that was known to have quite the sense of humor. Mervin is known for laughing at everyone he hears. EVERY joke. He became instant friends with Nick because of the fox's joke telling. One thing about him is that he has a big family. Including his mom and dad, he has six siblings. Five older brothers and one younger sister. While Mervin likes to laugh all the time, he can be serious when he needs to be. The only thing he enjoys more than laughing is laughing with his friends.

Falisha Striza, wearing a yellow sleeveless hoodie and black pants, was a white tiger and one of the only girls in the group. Falisha is known for her firmness and boldness. She considers herself to be really good friends with Judy. Since she and Judy are girls, they get along with each other quite easily. Falisha joined their group because she thought it would be interesting and for her, it was a good call. Falisha also is very smart and has strong observation skills. She plans to use these to become a detective one day.

Ronald Behr III, wearing a red and brown flannel shirt and blue jeans, was a brown bear who considered himself to be the strong and big-hearted guy. Ronald, also called Ronnie by his friends, thinks of himself as the bodyguard of the group since he looks after anyone who's in trouble with bullies. He did this for Nick when he first met him. Ronnie is also the son of a fisherman that runs a bait-and-tackle shop and also knew John when they both worked for City Hall. Ronnie may seem intimidating that times, but he's always kind to others that are kind to him.

Audran Alkes, wearing a brown shirt and white pants, was a moose who lived up North before his family moved to Zootopia. Audran is Ronnie's best friend and happens to meet Nick at the same time Ronnie did. Audran considers himself to be the 'mammal-in-the-middle'. He likes to look at both sides when it comes to things. He also has a funny habit of saying "Eh?" in most of his sentences. Like all of Nick and Judy's friends, Audran is a nice guy that cares about his friends and would do anything to help them out.

A few were missing, but this was the group. Older and much taller than when they were still little kids (except for Finnick). Judy was happy to see some familiar faces.

"Carrots, get behind me." Nick said as he moves Judy behind him. "It will be more surprising to them when they see your face."

"Good idea." Judy said agreeing with Nick. As she hid behind Nick, she did her best to hold in her laughter. "Heehee! I can already imagine the looks on their faces."

Nick and Judy slowly walked up to the where their friends were.

"Hey, guys!" Nick said making himself noticeable.

"There you are, Nick. You kept us waiting." Falisha said firmly.

"Heh heh! Sorry about that." Nick said as he scratches the back of his head.

"So, why did you called us all here anyway?" Finnick asked.

"Can a guy invite his friends to a juice bar so they can hang out?" Nick asked shrugging with his usual sly grin.

"With that look on your face, we seriously doubt that." Ronnie said with his arms crossed.

Benji then noticed that something may be behind him. "Nick, is something behind you?" He asked.

Judy did her best to hold in her giggling. Next to notice something was Finnick. His nose was catching a scent.

"Hang on. I know that scent from somewhere." Finnick said sniffing around.

At that point, Judy decided now was the perfect time to reveal herself.

"SURPRISE!" Judy shouted out as she gets from behind Nick.

Everyone's eye opened up as they all saw the bunny and quickly got up from their seats.

"JUDY!" Everyone else shouted out happy to see her.

"If I don't get a hug from everyone here, I will be very upset." Judy said to them.

First to walk to Judy was Benji. Lifting her up from the ground and giving her a big hug.

"Judy! You're back! I missed you so much." Benji said joyfully.

"Missed you too, Benji." Judy said to Benji. But she was starting to feel a bit squeezed. "Ben, you mind loosening up? You're kinda squeezing me too tight."

"Oh. Sorry!" Benji said as he puts Judy down.

"Your hugging has gotten a bit tighter." Judy said as she straightens herself up.

Next to come to Judy was Mervin.

"Mervin!" Judy said happily to the hyena.

"Judy!" Mervin said to Judy before going in for a hug.

"What's with the blue?" Judy asked noticing the new blue dye added to his hair.

"I'm trying something new." Mervin said as he let go of Judy.

"Don't you mean something 'blue'?" Judy asked with a smirk raising her eyebrow.

Mervin burst into laughter. "Hahahahahaha!"

"Same ol 'easy to make laugh' Mervin." Judy said not surprised that Mervin hasn't changed.

Next up to walk to Judy was Falisha.

"Guuuurrl!" Falisha said with her a 'what's up' matter.

"Guuuuurl!" Judy said in a matter similar to Falisha. They then hugged.

"Jude. You don't know how much I missed you. I have been stuck with these boys most of the time." Falisha stated to Judy. "It's been a nightmare."

"I can imagine." Judy said to Falisha.

"Heeeeeeeey!" The boys said feeling offended.

"Oh, you know what we mean." Falisha stated to the boys and she lets go of Judy.

"Yeeeeeah..." The boys said admitting that they can be a handful.

Next up was Audran to come up to Judy.

"Audran, looks like those antlers are coming in nicely now." Judy said to Audran with a smile.

"You know it. A moose has got to keep his antlers good, eh?" Audran said.

"Eh." Judy said with a smile. "Alright, give me my hug."

"Okay." Audran said before hugging Judy like she requested.

"There it is." Judy said as Audran hugged her.

After Audran let go of Judy, Ronnie was next to go to the bunny.

"Judy!" Ronnie said with open arms. "Get ready for a bear hug."

"Ronnie!" Judy said. Next thing she knew, Ronnie picked up Judy hugged her tighter than Benji did. "Woah! When you say 'bear hug' you meant it."

"Too much?" Ronnie asked.

"No. After Ben's hug, I knew what to expect." Judy stated with a smile. Yet she still felt that she was getting the life squeezed out of her. "But still..."

"Right." Ronnie said as he puts Judy down.

Last, but not least, was Finnick. Instead of Finnick walking to Judy, Judy walked to Finnick. Finnick tried to act cool and as if wasn't glad Judy was here.

"Finnick." Judy said waiting for him to respond.

"Well... Bunny Girl." Finnick said calling Judy what he usually calls her. "Took you long enough to come back to the city." Finnick also notices that Judy had gotten a bit taller. "Looks like you went up a few inches."

"Looks like you went up a few... millimeters." Judy said knowing that Finnick has really grown that much in the past year.

"Still have your jokes, huh?" Finnick said trying not to lose his temper.

"Still a little-big softie, I bet." Judy said with a smirk.

"It's good to see you, Judy." Finnick said with a smile.

"I'm gonna hug you now." Judy said to Finnick.

"*sigh* Okay." Finnick said accepting a hug.

Judy then hugged Finnick. Finnick then really hugged back, but he did seem happy even if he didn't want to say it. After the hugging, everyone sat back down, except Nick and Judy.

"So, Jude, how long are you staying?" Falisha asked. "Please tell me it's for more than a day. I need more girls to hang out with."

"Longer." Judy said happily. "I'm rooming with my sister, Gwen, who's staying in the city for college. You guys have me for the whole Summer."

"The WHOLE Summer?!" Everyone else went.

"Yep! Our little bunny is gonna be here for the next two months." Nick said happily.

"Oh, thank god!" Falisha said relieve to hear that.

"This is already turning out to be a great Summer." Benji said happily.

"It will be good to have you around again." Audran said.

"Yeah, it will." Nick said. "Oh by the way..." Nick then turned to Finnick. "Finn, as you can see... Judy has no glasses AND no braces." He said that while pointing at both Judy's eyes and putting her fingers over her mouth showing Judy's teeth. "I believe there was a certain **bet**."

"Grrrr! I... was hoping you would forget." Finnick said sounding angry.

"Nope. Now pay me mah money." Nick said with his paws out.

Admitting defeat, Finnick took out two 5 dollar bills and gave them to Nick.

"Pleasure doing business with you." Nick said putting the $10 in his pocket with a wide grin.

"I can't believe that you actually bet on whether I would be wearing glasses and braces or not." Judy said looking a bit angry with Nick.

"Hey now." Nick said as he leaned his head on Judy's head. "Don't be that way. You would still look great even with braces or glasses on."

"You're just saying that." Judy said smiling a bit.

"You know I wouldn't lie to you." Nick said as he held Judy closer. "Whatever I say about you, I mean it."

"Oh, Nick." Judy said feeling flattered. "Well, I bet you would still look cute in glasses and braces too."

"Don't need them. You can't perfect perfection." Nick said with his usual sly grin.

"There you go with that modesty again. You really haven't changed at all. But that's fine with me." Judy told him.

As Nick and Judy were having this moment, their friends felt weird about this. Usually, they don't act like this in front of them... intentionally.

"Uhhhhhhhh... what's with you two?" Mervin asked feeling weirded out.

"Yeah. You two don't usually act like this **in front** of us." Ronnie stated. "You usually hide it or quickly move away from each other."

"Unless..." Falisha said as her eyes widen.

"Nick, Judy, are... are you two..." Benji stammered as his body shook a bit.

Nick and Judy both looked away from everyone else and just laughed awkwardly. Judy blushed a bit while Nick just scratches the tip of his nose. It was clear that Benji and the others wanted to know if they were a couple now.

"Are we now?" Nick uttered as he looked at Judy.

"Yes. Yes, we are." Judy answered saying that they were a couple.

Hearing the news from their muzzles, Nick and Judy's friends were in a state of shock. They all looked at each other, then they sip their juices, spat them out, and shouted "WHAAAAAAAAAATTTTT?!"

"Oh come on. You can't be THAT surprised." Nick said to them as if they had already seen this come.

"So this is happening?! For real?! You two are really dating now?" Benji asked as it looks like his excitement was rising.

"Yep. Nick and I are boyfriend and girlfriend." Judy replied happily.

"No space in the middle." Nick and Judy added.

"*gasp*" Benji gasped as he covered his mouth. He then went for some high pitch squealing. "IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING!"

"How? When?" Mervin asked.

"Basically, yesterday." Judy answered. "Nick came to Bunnyburrow to ask me to be his girlfriend. After the promise we made 3 years ago and some talking, we decided to try and make things work."

"Next thing you know, I'm asking her to stay at Zootopia for the Summer and here we are." Nick told the others. Nick then went back to lean his head on Judy's. "The two of us are now a perfect fox/rabbit couple."

"It really shows that our differences don't bother us at all." Judy said happily as she has her arms over Nick's head. "We're just happy being by each other."

"Awwwwwwwwwwww!" Benji said happily for Nick and Judy.

"Ehh..." Everyone else went.

"Ehh?" Nick and Judy went surprised to here the other say that.

"I thought you guys would be cool with us dating." Nick said confused why the others besides been don't seem to care.

"Don't get us wrong. We expected you two to get together sooner or later..." Finnick stated.

"... And we're all really happy for the both of you." Falisha stated.

"... but now that it's actually happened..." Audran said.

"... it also means that we can't tease you anymore." Ronnie stated.

"Wait? So you're upset cause you can't tease us anymore?" Judy asked.

"Uh huh." Mervin, Finnick, Audran, Ronnie, and Falisha answered.

"So if we were dating the WHOLE time, the years of teasing would have been gone by now?" Nick asked started to look peeved.

"Pretty much." Mervin replied while shrugging.

"Suddenly, I'm regretting not letting Carrots and I be a thing sooner." Nick said with a straight face.

"Blame our young kid minds, Slick. We still didn't understand much. So dating was beyond us." Judy stated also with a straight face.

"Oooh! Quick question, how was it when you reunited?" Benji asked. "Was it... 'Seeing each other for the first time and running to each other and it felt like slow motion.' or 'Eyes meeting, slowly reacting, and then hugging for a long time.'?"

"What is with you thinking that we're this drama romance couple?" Judy asked red-faced and feeling embarrassed.

"Soooooo... eyes meeting, slowly reacting, and then hugging for a long time?" Benji asked.

Nick and Judy waited a few seconds before responding honestly. "Yes..." Nick and Judy said admitting it and with their heads down.

"Knew it." Benji said with a big smile.

"Anyway, how about you take a seat and we catch up?" Falisha asked wanting to know what Judy's been up to.

"Okay." Judy said agreeing.

"I'm gonna go get us some smoothies." Nick said to Judy. He then took out the cash that he had from Finnick after winning his bet. He had a sly grin on his face. "It's on Finnick after all."

"Grrrrrrr!" Finnick growled angrily still mad about losing the bet.

As Nick went to the stand to get the smoothies, Judy sat down with everyone else. She sat on the couch between Benji and Falisha.

"So, how have things been for you the last year?" Falisha asked.

"Not much really. There was school, a few festivals, and that was pretty much it." Judy stated. "Everything is still the same in Bunnyburrow."

"What about your family?" Finnick asked. "Knowing your folks, you probably have another 100 siblings by now."

"No. We shut that down years ago. If mom and dad break that deal, everyone is obligated to leave the house forever." Judy told the others.

"Isn't that a little much?" Ronnie asked.

"Nick thought the same thing. But then you have to remember how many Hopps kids there are." Judy stated firmly.

"I understand." Ronnie said bringing his head down.

"I think we all do." Mervin said. "Being in a family with 7 kids is hard enough."

Judy looked around and notice that a few people were still missing. "Our group feels a bit... small now. Where are the others?" Judy asked.

"Darson's on Flash duty this time." Audran stated. "He's bringing Flash over here, so it might be another few minutes."

"Gazelle, we haven't actually seen in a while since she moved to one of the upper parts of the city. The distance is too far." Finnick stated sounding a bit sad.

"As for Chuck, Phil, Darwin, Wilfred, and Ed... they're still..." Benji said looking very sad.

"...away." Nick said as he came back. He was holding an orange colored smoothie and a blue colored smoothie in each of his paws. The subject of those five seems to bother Nick a bit. "The five of them are still away."

"Right..." Judy said as her ears drooped down.

Charles Woodson, Phillip Zecker, Darwin Deerling, Wilfred Maus, and Edward Beestli. The 5 former Junior Ranger Scouts of Troop 914. Former being the keyword. The five boys were known for muzzling predators because they didn't want them to join their pack. Nick, Mervin, Ronnie, and Benji were some of their victims. Nick and Judy later got even with them and got them to finally understand things about predators and they eventually forgave them for what they did. But even so, things were not good for them. They were blackballed by nearly everyone they came across. Not wanting to deal with it anymore, they finally came clean and turn themselves into the authorities. The 5 would spend a Summer in the Zootopia Juvenile Detention Center. Even after getting out, things... were still difficult.

3 years ago, on the day after their release, Nick was with Chuck at the park. The sun was setting and the two of them were on the swing sets. Chuck had given Nick some important news.

"So... you and the others are leaving Zootopia." Nick said sadly.

"Well, that's what happens when you get a criminal record." Chuck said to Nick. "The school doesn't want anything to do with us now. Neither does any other school in this city."

"Where are you gonna go then?" Nick asked.

"We're heading over to East Canyonland. There a school over there that will actually let the five of us attend." Chuck said.

"What's the name of the school?" Nick asked.

"Ridge Might Academy." Chuck replied.

"Ridge Might Academy?!" Nick shouted out in a shocking matter. "That's a military school. But not just any military school. One of the toughest in the country."

"Yep... and that's where were are gonna be attending." Chuck stated.

"You really can't go anywhere else?" Nick asked looking sad.

"You should know the answer to that." Chuck said.

"How long do you have left in the city?" Nick asked.

"We're all leaving first thing tomorrow. So today's our last day here." Chuck told him.

"That soon?" Nick said surprised to hear that.

"School year has already started. We have to leave right away." Chuck said.

"Guess that makes sense." Nick said realizing that would be the case. "Listen, you and the others don't have to do this. The gang and I could always..."

"Nick, we did some horrible things. You and the others may have forgiven us and we even did our time in juvie, but... to be honest, we... I... still don't think we deserve forgiveness yet." Chuck said as he looked at the ground. "We should have never done what we did in the first place. We also haven't become the kind of mammals we want to be." Chuck then looked up at the sky. "I want to become someone who's strong and dependant. Someone that people can look up to." He then turned to face Nick and gave him a smile. "Like you and Judy."

"Chuck..." Nick said.

"We're going to Ridge Might Academy not because we have to. It's because we want to." Chuck said with a determined look on his face. "If we can get through this, then maybe I can finally be someone others can acknowledge. Like with juvie, this is something the others and I have to do. No matter what. Hopefully, when I'm done, I can finally be someone worthy of being your friend."

It still surprised Nick how much the woodchuck had changed. He was a completely different person than the one who muzzled him.

"Guess I understand." Nick said. "Will you ever come back?"

"If things work out, we should be back by high school." Chuck stated.

"That long, huh? Well, I guess I have to let you do what you have to do." Nick said understanding Chuck's choice. "But let me say two more things. 1: You're already my friend. 2: You don't have to be like me or Judy. Just be you. The you that **you** want to be."

"That me that I want to be?" Chuck uttered thinking about Nick's words. "Hmmm. Judy's right. You do have a habit of being right all the time."

"It's a curse." Nick said with a smirk. "Well... not really."

"Haha! I'm gonna miss that 'Nick Wilde' modesty." Chuck said smiling.

"Just promise that you will come back. Alright?" Nick asked.

"I promise." Chuck said nodding.

The boys then looked up at the orange sky.

"It's getting late. Shouldn't we head back home?" Chuck asked.

"Just a few more minutes." Nick said not wanting to leave yet.

"Okay." Chuck said.

That was the last time Nick saw Chuck. The day after, Chuck and the others were sent to military school. Everyone was sad to have them leave the city, but they all accepted it. Back with Nick and the others...

"I still write letters to them every once in a while, but I haven't seen them since." Nick said to Judy.

"Still can't believe that they had to go to military school." Judy stated still feeling bad for them.

"Hopefully, they're okay." Mervin said.

"I'm sure they're fine." Finnick said not sounding worried. "We'll see them again soon enough."

"Yeah. I suppose you're right." Nick said agreeing with Finnick to stay positive. Nick then realize that he was still holding his and Judy's drink. "Oh! Right. Judy, here's your smoothie." Nick walked over to Judy and then handed her the orange one. "A carrot, lime, and apple smoothie for you..."

"Thank you, Nicky." Judy said happily as she takes her smoothie.

"... And a blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry smoothie for me." Nick said before sitting down on one of the chairs.

Nick and Judy sipped their smoothies and enjoyed them quite a lot.

"Pretty good." Judy said before sipping more of her smoothie.

"Should be. Cost 4 bucks for each of them." Nick stated before sipping his smoothie some more.

"Pretty high." Judy said.

"Hey. Since we were still on the subject of friends, how was the gang in Bunnyburrow?" Benji asked. "Nick, since you were there, then I assumed that you said hi to them."

Nick stopped drinking his smoothie and his eye opened up widely. In his head, he shouted out "OH MY GOSH! I FORGOT TO VISIT THE OTHERS!"

"Nick?" Benji said.

"Uhhhhhh..." Nick went.

"Niiiiiick?" Benji said still waiting for a proper answer.

"Well... you see... I was so focused on the whole 'Judy, be my girlfriend' thing that... I completely forgot to visit them and say hi." Nick said feeling awful for not doing that.

"You were in Bunnyburrow and you didn't even take the time to say hi to our other friends?" Ronnie asked surprised to hear that.

"Yeaaaaahhh..." Nick answered.

"Heh heh... Hahahahahahahaha!" Finnick laughed. "Wooo! So you didn't even visit Gideon Grey? Man, at least I know how we are all rated on your friends' list. Hahaha!"

"Dude, not cool." Mervin said to Finnick. "Nick feels bad enough."

"Uggggggghhh..." Nick went with his paw over his face as he shook his head.

"Guess I'll be the one to tell you how everyone is doing." Judy said. "Everyone's fine. Still the same. Bobby started a one-man-band."

"You were talking to Sharla earlier today. Are she and Gid dating yet?" Nick asked snapping out of his funk.

"Not yet." Judy answered.

"Oh." Everyone went.

"I swear, they are taking longer than you two." Ronnie stated.

"Heeeeey!" Nick and Judy said not liking that comment.

"If they'll date, they'll date. It's up to them." Judy stated.

"So long as it doesn't take as long as you guys did." Finnick stated.

"Heeeeeey!" Nick and Judy said again not liking Finnick's comment either.

Wanting to change the subject, Judy decided to talk about the place they were in.

"The place is pretty nice." Judy said as she looked at the atmosphere. "I can see why you all consider this your new hangout spot."

"Well, we couldn't keep using Nick's basement, eh?" Audran said.

"Hey! There is NOTHING wrong with my basement." Nick said firmly. "My folks loved having you guys over."

"Only cause it was making them have the house that every kid goes to. They were riding the popularity train which ticked off our own parents." Mervin stated.

"I... don't see the problem." Nick said seeing no downside for him. "My parents are awesome."

"STOP 1-UPING YOUR PARENTS!" Everyone else, including Judy, shouted out.

"Not my fault that my parents are awesome." Nick said with a smirk before sipping his smoothie some more.

At that moment, Judy's cellphone rang.

"Who's calling me now?" Judy asked as he takes out her phone. She looks at the contact and sees that it's her father, Stu. "Ugh! Speaking of parents, it's my dad."

"Again? He called like 3 times on the train." Nick stated.

"Apparently, he wants me to call him everyday." Judy said feeling awkward about that. "I wish he didn't worry so much."

"Should you just let it go to voicemail?" Audran asked.

"If I do, he's just gonna use that as an excuse to come all the way here." Judy stated knowing how her dad is.

"Throw in a 'daddy' or two. It will ease him up." Falisha said.

"Good call." Judy said nodding. Judy picked up the phone and answered her father. "Hey, daddy." "..." "Yes, dad. I'm fine. Gwen and I made it to the city and already settled into our new apartment." "..." "Yes, dad. I'm really okay. I'm actually hanging out with my friends. You know, the same kids Nick and I played with." Judy then held her phone in front of everyone. "Say hi, everyone."

"Hey, Mr. Hopps!" Everyone else said loud enough for Stu to hear.

Judy then put the phone back into her ear and said "See ya, I'm fine. Now, I'm gonna hang up and call you again **tomorrow**. Okay?" "..." "24 hours and no earlier." Judy was sounding firmer. "Do not use that as an excuse to come here. Worry about your other hundreds of kids for now." "..." "Alright." "..." "Love you too, daddy." Judy then hung up her phone.

"So... how's your 'daddy'?" Nick asked.

"Same." Judy said with a straight face. "I swear, I wish he would stop worrying about me so much."

"Even after being longtime friends with my pop, Mr. Hopps is still like that." Nick stated while shrugging. After saying that, Nick's phone started ringing. Nick took his phone out to see who was calling in. "Scratch that. All your family is still like that."

"Who's calling you?" Judy asked.

"Your brother, Greg." Nick answered.

"Why is he calling you?" Benji asked.

"Apparently, he thinks I forgot him and that I'm only friends with him because I like his sister. Which is not true." Nick stated.

"Is it, tho?" Finnick asked. "I mean you are already with his sister, what do you need him for?"

Nick growled at Finnick before answering his phone. "Hey, Greggy. What's up?" "..." "Of course I still remember you. It's only been a few hours." "..." "Uh huh." "..." "Uh huh." "..." "Uh huh. Look, I'll text you later, okay?" "..." "Alright." "..." Nick's expression change. Then turned away from his friends and whispered to his phone. "I'm not gonna say that to you before I say that to your sister. Deal with it. Bye." Nick then hanged up his phone and turned back to his friends.

"What is it that you wanted to say to Judy before you say to Greg?" Benji asked.

Nick immediately went red-faced and wanted to change the subject.

"So... how bout these, huh? Tasty, right?" Nick said nervously before taking another sip of his smoothie.

"He never told her yet." Benji, Finnick, Mervin, Audran, Ronnie, and Falisha all thought.

While Nick has told his friends that he was in love with Judy, he's never said that he loved Judy himself to her. There hasn't really been any right time. So he was gonna save saying that to her for later. After taking so long to finally get here, Darson and Flash, finally in.

Darson Coynac, a coyote wearing a black shirt over a blue dress shirt and blue jeans with some tears on the knee area, is another one of Nick's good friends. Like a few other friends, he was a former bully at his school. Nick and Darson were pretty much mortal enemies at one point. But after understanding each other, they became friends. Darson's mother died after giving birth to him. It's why he always saw himself as a bad thing. But after learning that his mother died because of an illness, Darson changed his life around. He is now part of the friend circle.

Flash Slothmore, a sloth wearing a green and white striped shirt with tan jeans, was another good friend of Nick and the others. Often goes by the nickname, Flash ' 100-yard dash' by Nick. Being a sloth, Flash is... slow. Really slow. He moves slow and he speaks slow. To get to certain places at a certain time, the gang usually has some on Flash duty. They carry Flash to and from point A and point B. As slow as he is, Flash does have an odd taste for the fast life. He often goes go-kart racing and rarely loses. He also collects toy sports cars. He's an odd sloth, but a good friend to everyone.

"Oh! Look who's finally showed up." Finnick said to the two new arrives.

"Sorry, we're late." Darson said to everyone. "But you know how it is when you're on Flash duty."

"I... could have... got here... on... my own." Flash stated.

"Yeah... and take 2 hours." Darson said to Flash. "No one has time to..." Darson stopped talking when he realized that Judy was here. He wasn't expecting to see Judy. "Judy Hopps?!"

"Hey, Darson." Judy said after getting up.

"Oh my gosh!" Darson said with a smile. He then put Flash down and walked to her. "Well, this is a surprise. I didn't think you would be here."

"I'm here for the Summer." Judy stated.

"The whole Summer? That's some good news." Darson said.

"So I've been told." Judy said smiling.

"I would hug you, but I feel that your boy friend with a space in the middle would kill me." Darson said while pointing back at Nick.

"Everybody gets one." Nick said.

"Oh. Alright then." Darson said. He then hugged Judy. But only for like one second. He didn't want to step on any boundaries.

"By the way, it's boyfriend **without** a space in the middle." Nick stated to Darson.

"Without?" Darson said confused for a second. Then he got what he meant. "WAIT?! ARE YOU TWO SERIOUSLY TOGETHER NOW?!"

"Yep!" Nick answered with a smile.

"Wow! Bout time." Darson said looking pleased.

"Right?" Finnick said agreeing with Darson that it took too long.

"Con... grat... ulat... ions!" Flash said to Judy and Nick.

"Flash!" Judy said she dashes to the sloth. "Been too long, pal."

"Judy." Flash said as he slowly opened his arms. Clearly, he wanted to hug Judy. Just... really slowly. Judy, not being a patient bunny, moved his arms for him and helped him with the hug.

"There you go." Judy said as Flash hugged her. But then it took like a minute to break the hug. "Same ol' 'take your own time' Flash, huh?"

"Actually, Carrots..." Nick said while chuckling a bit. "... Flash here picked up a little something."

"What's that?" Judy asked looking interested.

Nick then patted Flash on the back and said: "Flash, buddy, do the thing for Judy.".

"O... kay." Flash said slowly. He then closed his eyes and slowly take a deep breath. Since he was a sloth, this whole process took about a minute. But after that, he opened back up his eyes and said "Hello, Judy. Good to see you back in the city. It's also good to hear you and Nick are finally together.".

The second Judy heard Flash talk, it felt like she was struck by lightning. Not by what he said, but HOW he said it.

"WHHHHHHAAAAAAAT?" Judy shouted out. After that, all she could do was stuttered. "F... F... Flash? Did... you... just..."

"Guess talking like was a bit of a shock." Flash said.

"A bit? Flash, YOU'RE TALKING NORMAL! LIKE NORMAL SPEED FOR US!" Judy shouted out still in disbelief.

"Not exactly." Flash said.

"While you were gone, Flash took some speed speaking classes for sloths." Finnick said. "He's not actually speaking at normal speed. Just super sloth fast."

"So from our perspective, he's just speaking normal." Nick stated.

"I see. That's pretty awesome, Flash." Judy said happily.

Flash waited a few seconds to respond. "However, it's much more difficult than it looks."

"What do you mean?" Judy asked.

Flash waited a few seconds again before responding. "I have to think about everything I want to say first. At some point..." Flash then started talking slowly again. "... it... gets... pretty... hard... to... say... the right... words." Flash then waited another few seconds before speaking again. "So until I get better from the class..." Flash started speaking slowly again. "... this... is... the... best... I... can... do."

"It's still quite impressive." Judy told Flash.

"Still... need... to... get... better." Flash said.

"You know Flash, even with the classes helping you talk faster, you don't have to take them." Judy stated. "You're okay just the way you are."

"I... don't... have... to. I... want... to." Flash said. He then waited another few seconds and spoke fast again. "For my friends, I'll do anything."

Judy couldn't help but smile. Flash wanted to work hard for his friends. Just like she and Nick do. Everyone in the group was the kind of kids that stick together, no matter what.

"Alright, Judy. Since you're back in the city, how about we catch you up on all the trouble Nick got us in while you weren't here." Darson said with a smirk.

"Do tell." Judy said sounding interested.

"Hey! All of that was NOT on me." Nick said looking mad.

"Agree to disagree." Darson said smirking. "Now, let's talk about the time when..."

So everyone sat together and shared what happened over the past year. All the things they did, what happened during school, the... crazy situations they got into, and other things. They all enjoyed reconnecting. It was like they were talking for hours. Cause... they actually were. The sun was about to set the Juice Bar was about to close anyway. The kids left and continued talking outside of it.

"Hahaha! Unbelievable! Even without Nick and the rest of us, you and the others from Bunnyburrow still got into trouble." Mervin said chuckling some more.

"Guess trouble is something that we can never avoid." Judy said finding it humorous.

"Sad, but true." Nick said agreeing with Judy. Nick then looked up at the sky. "Jeez, I didn't know it was that late."

"We should all be heading home." Audran stated.

"Right." Ronnie said nodding.

"Hold on." Nick said wanting to say something before everyone started leaving. "Guys, it's the Summer and Judy's will be here the whole time. There may be less of us now, but we need to make everyday count."

"I'm with you on that, Nicky." Finnick said agreeing.

"Me too." Mervin said also agreeing.

"Count me in too, eh?" Audran said with his hoof up.

"Pretty sure we're all in." Ronnie said.

"Awesome!" Nick said excitedly as he pumped his fist. "Then we better start planning things. Man, we're gonna make so many plans, our Summer is gonna seem endless."

"Summer can't be endless. It'll have to end sooner or later." Falisha stated.

"Thanks for that knowledge, Captain Obvious." Nick said to Falisha. "What I mean is this Summer is gonna **seem** endless. We only have so many days, so we have to live each day to the best we can."

"Live each day to the best we can, huh?" Judy asked herself. "Slick, this might be one of your best ideas yet."

"I'll add it to the list." Nick said with a smirk. He then held his right arm out. "So, to an _Endless Summer_?"

Everyone else got into a circle and held their arms out like along with Nick and said. "To an _Endless Summer_.".

"Just promise me one thing." Judy said to everyone. "We all promise not to get into trouble like the kind that we got into when we were kids."

Everyone was silent for a few seconds. Then... they all broke into laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Not get into trouble. WOO! That's a good one." Mervin said wiping the happy tears from his eyes.

"We're teens now, we are gonna get into a LOT more trouble." Nick said still laughing.

"I don't even know why I even said that." Judy said laughing about it as well.

"All laughter aside..." Falisha said as they all started calming down. "... we should head home. My sister's back for the Summer from college.

"So are 3 of my older brothers... and they're all staying at the house again. Yaaaaay..." Mervin said not sounding to happy about that.

"It's been fun, but I need to catch a bus. See you guys later. Good to have you back, Bunny Girl." Finnick said waving goodbye.

"See ya, Nick. See ya, Judy." Ronnie said.

"Bye, guys." Nick said waving goodbye to everyone.

With that, all the kids went home and said their goodbyes. Nick and Judy were now alone with just the two of them.

"The group hasn't changed one bit." Judy said happy about that.

"Yep. Still a group of crazies and weirdos." Nick said to Judy with a smile.

"Anyway, it's gotten quite late. I should head home. Gwen might get mad if I'm gone too long." Judy stated.

"Right." Nick said understanding. But then he had an idea. "Or... you can come back to my house and have dinner with the family."

"Dinner... sounds good." Judy said liking the idea. "I haven't had your mom's cooking in a while."

Nick then held on to Judy's paw. "Then let's go." Nick said to Judy with a smile.

"Okay." Judy said blushing a bit.

The two of them made their way back to Nick's home.

"By the way, your paws are still really soft." Judy said to Nick.

"Did you expect them not to be?" Nick told Judy.

After some walking, the two made it back to the Wilde home. As they went in, expecting Frankie to finish making dinner, someone they didn't expect was also in the room. It was Judy's sister, Gwen. She was playing with the twins.

"Ooooooh! You two are so adorable." Gwen said happily to the twins in their boosters chairs.

"Gwen?" Judy and Nick said surprise to see that.

"Oh! There you two are." Gwen said noticing Nick and Judy.

"Gwen, what are you doing here?" Judy asked.

"You're not the only one who wanted to see Mr. and Mrs. Wilde. I also wanted to say hi to the twins." Gwen stated. "Also... there's like no food in our apartment. Mr. and Mrs. Wilde were nice enough to allow me to stay for dinner. I assume that's the reason you came here, right?"

"Kinda..." Judy admitted.

"Great sisters think alike." Gwen stated while tapping her head where her brain is.

"Haha..." Judy laughed awkwardly.

So Judy... and Gwen stayed over to have dinner with Nick and his family. Afterward, Gwen and Judy had to head back to their apartment. It was late, so it was time to get some sleep. While Gwen was asleep, Judy was still up. She was on the desk and got out her diary. She got out her trusty carrot pen and started writing in it.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Hello. It feels like it's been a long time since I written in you. I got a lot to catch you up on. So, Nick, the fox boy who I have written a lot about in you just happen to show up at the front of my house. Next thing you know, we're boyfriend and girlfriend and I'm staying at Zootopia for the Summer. Imagine that. It feels weird, but also right in some way. Honestly, I'm happy about that. Really REALLY happy. Nick and I are a couple! Yay! Another thing that happens was me reuniting with the Zootopia gang. Most of them haven't changed a bit since we were kids. It will be good to reconnect with them. Nick has this idea of us having an 'Endless Summer'. Sounds like a great idea. Making a whole bunch of plans for the Summer. I can't wait to see what this Summer has in store for us. Well, it's late. So I'm gonna write more later. Till next time._

 _Judy_

 **Well, that's the end of this chapter. Things are just getting started for Nick, Judy, and the others. There's gonna be some fun moments, some new adventures, romance, and of course some tension.** **What will happen next? Tune in for the next chapter.**


	4. Short-tempered

**Alright, it's now time for Chapter 4 of this story. So, after my last chapter, some people gave me some ideas in the comments. Honestly, some of them were close to the ideas I already had planned. Not completely, but one or two points. This isn't one of them, but I felt that it needed to be done. Before I talk about what the focus of this story is, let's talk about the twins, Todd and Vixey. As some of you read from the last story, the idea of John and Frankie wanting to have more kids came up more than once. Honestly, I was never planning for Nick to have siblings in the first place. But after comments and suggestions, I decided that the idea could really work. Besides, who knows? Other characters in the movie may actually have siblings we don't know about. We don't know their full backstories. The twins were created cause I wanted Nick to have both a brother and a sister. That and I'm actually a twin in real life. But we're the brother/brother kind of twins. But enough about that. The main focus is on Nick and Finnick. In the movie, they were basically hustling buds. But I also felt that they had a bit of a brotherhood. But brotherhoods get difficult when one of the brothers has actual siblings to look after plus a girlfriend. How does Finnick feel about being second to third fiddle? Let's find out.**

* * *

Still in his bed, was Nick. The light from the sun is what finally woke him up. Nick got out of his bed moaning and groaning. He walks up to his mirror and notices his bedhead. He really didn't put an effort to fix it. It was one of those mornings.

Nick came downstairs to the dinner table. His mom, dad, brother, and sister, were already up and having breakfast. Todd and Vicky were drinking from their bottles.

"Morning, son." John said greeting Nick.

"Morning, Nicky." Frankie said also greeting Nick.

"Morning..." Nick said still sounding groggy as he walks. He then pats the heads of Todd and Vicky. "Morning, minis." Nick then sat down on the table. Frankie put a plate in front as he sits down. Nick's breakfast was tofu scrambled eggs, toast, and hashbrowns.

"So, any plans for today?" Frankie asked her son.

"Honestly, I got nothing." Nick said as he pours orange juice into his cup.

"Nothing?" John said surprise to hear that. "I thought you and your friends would have a bunch of plans for the Summer."

"That **was** the plan." Nick said to his old man. "After Judy and I met up with the others the day she came back, we all agreed to come up with plans for our _Endless Summer_. But... uh... we met up yesterday and... well..."

Yesterday, Nick, Judy, and the others met up again at the Juice Bar. They all wanted to make a list of things to for the Summer. Each day would be filled with an activity they wanted to do. On the table was a piece of paper titled "Plans for the Summer". But besides that... the list was completely empty. Everyone was silent before shouting out "WE. GOT. NOTHING!". Nick also throw the list in the air.

Back with Nick and his family...

"Apparently, it's hard to figure out what you want to do during Summer vacation." Nick said to his parents. "So for now, we're just gonna do what comes naturally. Hang out a few days or do our own things. If something comes up, we'll do it then."

"I see." John said getting what his son means. "Do you have any plans for today?"

"I was thinking I would just get together with Judy. You know, the whole 'boyfriend-girlfriend' thing." Nick said as he ate some of his hashbrowns.

"That sounds nice." John said to Nick.

"I just hope we can figure out what we should do before the Summer ends." Nick said looking a bit concern.

"I'm sure you will come up with something. Give it some time." John said smiling. His smile then went away when he saw the clock on the microwave say 8:48. "Oh jeez! I'm late. I got to get ready to open up the store. John quickly drank the rest of his coffee and then walked up to Todd and Vicky. "Alright, kids. Daddy's got to go to work. So I'll see you later."

"Buh buh." Todd said.

"Buh buh, dada." Vicky said.

John then kissed both Todd and Vicky on their foreheads. After that, John walked over to Nick and patted his head.

"See ya, champ." John said to Nick.

"Later, pop." Nick said to his old man.

Lastly, he walked back to Frankie.

"Have a good day, sweetie." Frankie said to her husband cheerfully.

"You too, honey." John said before giving Frankie a kiss on her cheek.

"Ewww!" Todd responded as he stuck out his tongue.

"Yucky!" Vicky said also disgusted by the site of her parents' romance.

"I know, right? Parents are gross." Nick said to his baby siblings.

With that said, John said goodbye to his family and made his way to his shop. After breakfast, Nick decided to watch some TV with the twins. Since Todd and Vicky were still babies, he had to watch something that was... appropriate for them. Just an educational show that involved puppets.

"I can't believe that _Mr. Roarly's Puppet Friends_ is still on the air." Nick said. "I think this show's been on since mom and pop were your two's age."

"Uab bo abab." Todd babbled.

"Yeah. Parents are old." Nick stated. Nick's ears then perked up as he hears the doorbell ring. "Oh. That must be Judy."

Getting up from the couch, he walks over to the front door and opens it. As expected, it really was Judy.

"Girlfriend." Nick said greeting Judy.

"Boyfriend." Judy said looking happy to see Nick.

"Please come in, Carrots." Nick said allowing Judy to step in.

"Gladly." Judy said happily as she walks into the house.

As Judy goes into the living room, she sees the twins already sitting on the couch. Of course, Judy loves to see the twins every chance she gets.

"Hey, Toddy and Vicky." Judy said greeting the two fox pups. She then lifted up Vicky from the couch. "How are you today?"

"Juju! Ahh gee gah." Vicky said happily.

"A bit happier now that you're here." Nick stated.

"So, still got nothing planned?" Judy asked while still holding Vicky.

"Just hanging out with you and the minis." Nick said with a smile. "Unless you have anything in mind."

"Not really. Remember, I'm still pretty much just coming back to the city. I barely know what's going on these days." Judy stated.

"Man, hope we can find some way to fill up our Summer with some activities soon." Nick said looking a bit worried.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll come up with something." Judy said while patting Nick's back.

"Yeah." Nick said nodding in agreement.

As they said that, Frankie came into the room. But now she had on some blue nurse scrubs on over white clothes.

"Oh. Hello, Judy." Frankie said greeting the young doe.

"Hey, Mrs. Wilde." Judy said with a wave. "What's with the outfit? You look like a nurse."

"That's because I am one." Frankie stated as she fixed her shirt a bit.

"That's right. I forgot to tell you." Nick said as he slaps his forehead. "Mom recently got a new job at a hospital. A nursing home, actually."

"Really? That's amazing." Judy said impressed.

"I don't think I've ever told you dearly, but I used to do quite a bit of nursing before I married Mr. Wilde." Frankie stated. "A few years after we had Nick, I had to leave to become a stay-at-home mom and help Johnny around the shop. But now Johnny has his new shop with employees to help him, as well as Nick being old enough to take care of himself, I thought it was a good time for me to get back into nursing." Frankie then walked up to the couch and lifted up Todd. "With two more mouths to feed, we need all the money we can make."

"Makes sense." Judy said understanding.

Frankie then handed Todd for Nick to hold him. "Now Nicky, I want you to take good care of Toddy and Vicky while I'm gone." Frankie told Nick.

"Relax, mom. You know I got this." Nick said to his mom to let her know she has nothing to worry about. "Why would you have more kids if you didn't want the oldest kid to look after them?"

"Why does that sound like something the older kids in my family would say?" Judy asked herself.

"Besides, this isn't the first time I watched them and you know that." Nick stated.

"Just watch over them." Frankie said.

"I will, mom." Nick said with a smile.

"Alright then." Frankie said. She then looked at Todd and Vicky as Nick and Judy still held them. "Toddy, Vicky, be good to your big brother while mommy's away for the day." She then kissed both Toddy and Vicky's foreheads. She then looked up at Nick. "You be good too, Nick." She then kissed Nick on the forehead. This embarrassed Nick a bit.

"Mom! Not in front of Judy." Nick said looking red-faced.

"Heeheehee!" Judy giggled.

With that, Frankie said goodbye and made her way out. So now Nick and Judy were left with the twins. Nick and Judy then went back to watching the TV and sitting on the couch. Todd was on Nick's lap, while Vicky was on Judy's.

"Can't believe this show still going on. I remember this being on when I was a baby." Judy stated to Nick.

"Right? It's like some old shows don't end." Nick stated to Judy.

Once again, the doorbell rang.

"Yo Nicky, you in there?" The voice from outside of the door was Finnick's.

"Finn?" Nick said knowing that was his voice.

Nick takes Todd off his lap on puts him on the couch cushion. He then makes his way to the door. He opens up and sees that it really is Finnick. Behind him was a cooler filled with pawpsicles. A red frozen popsicle treat that Nick and Finnick made before.

"Sup?" Finnick said while tilting his head up.

"Sup?" Nick said doing the same. As Nick lets Finnick in, he then noticed all the pawpsicles Finnick brought. "You made a lot of pawpsicles. You planning on selling them today?"

"WE are selling them today." Finnick stated. "It's Summer and today's the perfect day to sell these babies to people who want to beat the heat."

"Speaking of babies, I'm... kinda watching the minis now." Nick stated as he scratches the back of his head.

"Again?!" Finnick said not sounding too happy. "Come on. Can't you get someone else to look after them? Like Carrots' sister?"

"She's busy with apartment stuff. Also, speaking of Carrots, she's actually here." Nick said pointing at Judy on the couch.

"Hey, Finnick." Judy said waving at the fennec.

"Of course she's already here." Finnick said not surprised to see Judy.

"Are those pawpsicles? Like the one we sold when we were little kids?" Judy asked.

"Oh yeah. Something else I forgot to tell you." Nick said recalling something he didn't tell Judy yet. "Finnick and I started to sell pawpsicles again about a year ago. We have also been making a LOT of cash from it."

"What about last time?" Judy asked recalling the last time they sold pawpsicles, they almost got in trouble. It was because they didn't have a permit.

"Ahh. That's why we got these." Nick said as he goes to one of his drawers, opens it up, and takes out a permit sheet. "Permits! Now we can sell the pawpsicles **legally**."

"Nick and I have been making tons of cash since we started selling them." Finnick said proudly. "Like 200 smackers a day. Divided by the two of us, we each get about 100 bucks. Not including days we don't sell pawpsicles or days we sell more than 100 of them."

"Yeah. So you can guess that we've been making quite a business after this. Best part, it's totally legit and legal." Nick stated proudly.

"What about taxes?" Judy asked raising an eyebrow.

Nick and Finnick eyes drooped down as they look at Judy with a total shock of realization. Judy had a major point. What about taxes?

"Taxes? Come on. They don't tax kids." Nick said trying not to sound worried. He then leaned down to Finnick to whispered to him. "Right?"

"I... I don't know." Finnick whispered back to Nick. He then faced Judy and spoke normally. "Well, what they don't know, won't hurt them. Or us."

"I suppose it's fine. It's not like I'm gonna say anything." Judy said telling the boys she will keep this to herself.

"Thanks." Nick and Finnick said relieved.

"Alright. Let's go, Nick. While the sicles are still cool and not melted." Finnick said wanting to get going.

"I told you. I got to watch Todrick and Victoria." Nick stated.

"Ugh! Can't you just bring the twins with us?" Finnick suggested.

"Hmm. Guess they _could_ use some time outside." Nick said thinking about it. "Alright then."

"Yes!" Finnick said pumping his fist.

"I just need to get a few things. Give me a couple of minutes." Nick said as he runs off.

"Couple of minutes?" Finnick said despondently.

"They're babies, remember?" Judy asked. "There are gonna need a few things."

"Fiiiiiiiine." Finnick said tapping his foot on the floor rapidly.

After a couple of minutes, Nick came back with a huge baby bag and a black twin baby carriage. He and Judy then put the twins into the seats of the carriage. Todd on the left and Vicky on the right.

"There you two go." Judy said as she buckles them in.

"Okay. Everything we need for the minis is right in here." Nick said showing off the baby bag. "Diapers, bottles, baby food, their binkies..."

"Their... binkies?" Judy said confused on what a binky is.

"Their pacifiers." Nick replied.

"Oh." Judy said knowing what a pacifier is.

"We also have baby wipes, sunblock, rattles, and their two favorite items." Nick said. He then took out a white toy ring. "Toddy's teething ring..." Nick gave it to Todd and he was already happily chewing on it. "... and... " Nick then dug into the bag again and this time took out a tiny sky blue blanket. "... Vicky's Nug-Nug."

"Nug-Nug!" Vicky shouted out happily.

"Nug-Nug?" Judy said feeling that the name sounded familiar. She then started to ponder about the name more and realized where she heard it from and looked at Nick with a big grin. "*gasp* Nug-Nug!"

"Carrots, whatever you're thinking, stop." Nick said firmly and looking a little embarrassed.

"But you..." Judy said.

"Stop. Thinking." Nick said firmly while gritting his teeth while pointing at Judy's face.

Nug-Nug was the name of Nick's baby blanket that he had until he was 6. The fact that Vicky has it now meant that he kept the blanket all this time. Judy was the only one Nick told about Nug-Nug and he wanted to keep it that way. Judy still couldn't help but grin at Nick.

"Nick..." Judy said to Nick with a big smile. "You're such a great brother."

"Don't I know it." Nick said proudly as he gave the blanket to Vicky, who happily cuddled it.

As warm as it was to see this, Finnick was really losing his patience with everyone. Not only that, it seems that part of him felt... angry with Nick.

"Can we go now?" Finnick asked sounding a bit angry. "We got pawpsicles to sell and time is money."

"Alright. Keep your cool, little buddy." Nick said to Finnick.

"I always keep my cool. But these pawpsicles won't." Finnick stated as he takes the cooler and started move. "Now move those furry butts of yours."

Finnick made his way out the door in a bit of a rude matter for Nick and Judy. They felt off about this. Finnick has always had a **short** temper, but he wasn't always this angry. But even so, Finnick was right about the pawpsicles. So they just ignored it for now.

A few minutes later, Nick, Judy, Finnick, and the twins were now at a spot Downtown selling pawpsicles for $2. Finnick was the one being the front seller while Nick and Judy kept an eye on Todd and Vicky. The two babies currently had pacifiers in their mouths. They were doing pretty okay for a start. They sold about 10 pawpsicles so far. However, Finnick felt they could do better.

"Pawpsicles! Get your pawpsicles here. Beat the Summer heat... with a nice and frosty treat." Finnick said in an upbeat matter while holding up a pawpsicle.

Normally, the pawpsicles would sell pretty quickly. But today looked like a slow day. The streets weren't even too packed with people.

"Looks like business is gonna be slow today even with your catchy rhyme." Nick stated to Finnick.

"Uggh! The city's usually filled with people coming and going. Why is it that barely anyone is out now?" Finnick asked looking peeved.

"Maybe it's just the spot." Judy stated.

"Nick and I used this spot all the time. Most of the times, we get a lot of buyers." Finnick stated. "But we will move to one of the upper parts... for better business."

"Sounds like a plan." Nick said agreeing with the idea.

So they moved to another spot in the Downtown part of the city. They picked a spot near some park. Business for them was actually much better. Selling a few more pops. Since that seemed to be the case, Judy helped herself to one of the pawpsicles. She started recalling the first time she got to try a pawpsicle. It tasted the same as the first one she had one. Cold, fruity, and surprisingly didn't taste feet. Finnick saw Judy eating one of the pawpsicles and made a bit of a fuss.

"Hey! Bunny Girl, don't just go eating our product." Finnick said angrily.

"Come on, I just took one." Judy stated not understanding why Finnick was making such a fuss.

"Yeah... and that will be 2 bucks." Finnick said with his paw out.

"2 bucks?! You're really gonna charge me?" Judy asked surprised.

"Yes." Finnick replied.

"Finn, it's fine." Nick said to the fennec. "Let Judy have one."

"Come on! That's $2 unclaimed." Finnick said.

"Psst! It's only 2 little dollars. Besides, girlfriends get permission." Nick said.

"Thank you, Nicky." Judy said happily as he licked her pawpsicle.

"No prob, Carrots." Nick said smiling back at Judy.

"Ugh! You're always taking her side." Finnick said angrily.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Nick said not liking Finnick's tone.

"Does it even matter if I tell you? I'm pretty sure you already know the answer." Finnick said as he turns away Nick and Judy.

Nick and Judy could definitely tell something were up with Finnick. He was acting very weird for him. But for now, the two decided to ignore it and focus on selling the pawpsicles.

As they sell a few more pawpsicles, Judy was still eating hers while watching the twins. Judy couldn't help but notice the way the twins were glaring at the pawpsicle with curiosity. Judy stopped eating the pawpsicle for a second and wanted to test something. She moved her pawpsicle to her right and both Todd and Vicky looked right. She then moved her pawpsicle to her left and the twins looked left. She then lifted it up and down 3 times and the little pups still had their eyes on it.

"Hey, Nick?" Judy said calling out to her boyfriend.

"What's up?" Nick asked he walks to Judy.

"Look at Toddy and Vicky." Judy said as she moved her pawpsicle around in a circle. The twins still followed it. "They keep eyeing my pawpsicle."

Nick noticed too and saw the way the twins awe it. When they usually give those look, it's their way of saying that they want something.

"Pretty sure they want one for themselves." Nick stated. Nick then took two pawpsicles from the cooler and walked back to his siblings. "Toddy, Vicky, want one? Want a pop?"

"Pop! Pop!" Todd and Vicky said as they joyfully reached out their arm for the pawpsicle.

"Alright. I guess I can give you each one." Nick said about to hand a pawpsicle over to them.

"Freeze!" Finnick shouted out at Nick and halting him. "Bunny girl's one thing, but not the minis. They don't get a popsicle."

"Oh, come on. Why not?" Nick asked. "Can't you see that they want one?"

"Can't **you** see that you can't just keep giving away our products all willy-nilly?" Finnick said to Nick all strict and firmly.

"Products?" Nick said confused why Finnick would call their pawpsicles products.

"Who still says _willy-nilly_?" Judy asked as she tilted her head a bit.

"Finn, it's just a pawpsicle. We still got plenty more than these two." Nick stated as he handed his brother and sister the pawpsicles. Todd and Vicky had joyful looks on their faces as they held the paws and licked them. "See, they like 'em."

"They're babies. They would put anything in their mouths at least once." Finnick stated with his arms crossed.

"That's a bit of a clique thing to say." Judy said.

"Clique or not, now we're down 4 more dollars. Including the one you had, the total is 6 dollars." Finnick calculated.

"Dude, it's just money. No need to be so critical about it." Nick said to Finnick. We always make extras and always make plenty of money. So stop sweating about a few bucks."

"Hmpt!" Finnick grunted. "Whatever." Finnick then went back to work.

"What's with him today?" Nick asked Judy. "He's acting differently than he usually does."

"I know. He's usually grouchy and cares about money a lot, but not like this." Judy said agreeing with Nick.

Nick and Judy now became more concern about Finnick's behavior. Even though they didn't want to pull any of his strings, they knew they had to talk to him. A couple of minutes later, Finnick was looking grouchier than before. It also didn't help that customers weren't really coming. But the low amount of customers gave Judy the golden opportunity to talk to Finnick.

Judy slowly walks to Finnick's back and says "Ummm... Finnick?" to the little fox.

"What?" Finnick asked sounding a bit annoyed.

"Are you okay?" Judy asked with a worried look on her face.

"Oh, I'm fine." Finnick answered as he frails his right paw around. "You got your popsicle, the minis got their popsicles, everybody's happy. Right?"

"You don't sound too happy." Judy said noticing Finnick's unhappy tone. "Finnick, if it bothers you THAT much, then I'll pay for the 3 popsicles, alright?" Judy then got out her wallet.

"Keep your money. Last thing I want is your 'boyfriend' to go off on me." Finnick said firmly.

"What's that mean?" Judy asked starting to look mad.

"Not... hing." Finnick said gritting his teeth.

"Clearly, it's not." Judy said getting madder. She then walks closer to Finnick's face and leans her head down a bit. "If somethings bother you, just tell me straight. Did I do something wrong?"

"I said I'm fine. So back off, Bunny Girl." Finnick said before growling.

Nick was thinking things were getting too serious. So he had to intervene.

"Hey! Finn, ease up." Nick said trying to calm the fennec down and keeping a possible fight from happening. "Judy just wants to help lose some of that anger."

"If she wanted to help me, then she should leave me alone. Better yet, how about she just leaves and takes the babies with her." Finnick said.

"Hey!" Nick said now starting to lose his temper. "It's one thing to talk bad about Judy, but don't bring my brother and sister into this."

"Of course we would take **their** side." Finnick said angrily.

"Side? I'm not taking sides." Nick stated firmly.

"Wrong! As long as your _girlfriend's_ around or minis, I'm always gonna come up short. No pun intended." Finnick shouted out in anger. He then slammed his paw on the pawpsicle cooler hard enough to make a bunch of them fall to the ground. This made Finnick panic. "Ah! No no no!"

All the pawpsicles that fell to the ground fell apart, got dirty, or both. 20 or so pawpsicles were now wasted.

"No..." Finnick said looking sad. "Now we won't be able to make our usual amount."

"Finnick, it's okay." Nick said trying to comfort him. "It's just popsicles and money."

"Just popsicles? Just money?" Finnick said as he gets up from the ground. It really bothers him that Nick would think that. Finnick's body started trembling. He then quickly ran off.

"Finnick! Wait!" Nick shouted out wanting the little fox to stop.

It was no use. Finnick just kept running away from the others. As he then, Todd started to cry loudly. Vicky started crying a second after. It was likely they are sad because of the tension from Finnick.

"Oh no. The twins seem pretty upset." Judy said with a worried look on her face.

"Uhhh... but... Finnick..." Nick said as he looked at the twins and then looking at the direction Finnick ran off to. He was feeling conflicted.

"Go." Judy said to Nick telling him to go after Finnick. "I'll look after Todd and Vicky. As well as clean up."

"Thanks." Nick said before running.

With Judy took care of the twins, Nick put his focus on finding Finnick. Even if Finnick was known to be quick on his feet, Nick knew Finnick couldn't have gotten too far. But he had to really rush.

Meanwhile, Finnick made it to a park, climbed up a big and tall tree, and sat on one of its branches. Finnick had a sad look on his face as he started to recall the day he first met Nick.

It was about 4 years ago. It was just a usual day for Finnick. He walks around the streets of Downtown and would often listen to music from his headphones. He used his headphones as a way to block out the outside world. Currently, he had a popsicle stick in his mouth. As he walked by the playground, he stopped when he noticed a sad red fox by himself in the swings. This fox was Nick and it was after the day he got muzzled by the Junior Ranger Scouts.

"Huh? That kid..." Finnick thought as he looked at the depressed fox. Finnick was all too familiar with that look. At first, Finnick thought "Eh. It's not my problem." and started walking away. But then, he couldn't help but get this itching feeling in his chest. He didn't know why, but he felt that he needed to talk to the boy because of it. So he decided to go to the young fox.

He walks over to the front of Nick, who was currently looking at the ground. Finnick then made his presence noticeable.

"Yo!" Finnick said greeting Nick.

"Huh?" Nick said as he looks up to see who was yo-ing him. He's surprised to see the tiny fox. "Oh. Ummm... hello?"

"I saw you from the distance. What's up with that sad mug?" Finnick asked.

"Hmm? What makes you think I'm sad?" Nick asked.

"Cause I can tell when someone is sad about something." Finnick stated. "Clearly, that's the case for you."

"So? Maybe I am sad." Nick admitted.

"What are you sad about?" Finnick asked.

"I... rather not say." Nick told him looking away from Finnick.

"Talking about it might make you feel better. I'm probably the only one who will listen to you. So you might as well talk to me." Finnick said before sitting on the swing next to Nick.

Nick decided that he might as well talk to Finnick about it. "Well... you see..."

Nick talked to Finnick about what happened to him with the Junior Ranger Scouts. Even after wanting to join them so badly, they wouldn't let him because he was not only a predator, but a fox. He even talked about how they put a muzzle on him.

"... And that's what happened." Nick said finishing telling his story.

"Tch! What a bunch of heartless punk." Finnick said angrily as he took his popsicle stick from his mouth. "It's one thing to judge you for being a fox, but a muzzle?"

"Tell me about it. They judge me before they even got to know me." Nick said looking sad again.

Finnick was always the kind of kid that got judged by others. Whether it was them thinking he was bad or picking fights with him. So in many ways, he could relate to Nick.

"Listen, people are gonna find a reason to think the worst of you. You're a fox like me, so you're gonna have people talk bad about you more than one. But the thing is, _you can't let them get to you_." Finnick said to Nick. "Forget what others have to say about you and just focus on yourself. Cause odds are... they might be even worse than a so-called 'sneaky' fox."

Finnick's words actually made Nick feel a bit better.

"Don't let them get to me." Nick said to himself.

"Right. Be strong and don't show any sign of weakness." Finnick said.

"I'll remember that." Nick said starting to smile.

"By the way, what's your name, man?" Finnick asked.

"It's Nick." Nick answered.

"Nick, huh? Heh. Our names even sound alike. Mine's Finnick." Finnick said.

"Fin-nick? Haha! Our names do sound alike." Nick said laughing a bit at the coincidence.

"What's weird is that my folks actually named me closer to the species of fox I am. I'm a fennec fox named Finnick Fawks." Finnick said in a joking matter.

"Psssh! Hahaha! Seriously?! You can't be serious." Nick said bursting into laughter.

"Sadly, no." Finnick admitted. "My parents couldn't think of a better name. They have a lack of creativity."

"Hahaha!" Nick laughed.

The two had already gotten along quite well with each other. It was because they were foxes, they could understand each other.

"Hey, you busy?" Finnick asked Nick.

"Not really." Nick replied.

Finnick then jumped off from the swing and said. "Follow me.".

Nick didn't know where Finnick might take him, but he was willing to follow him. Him being a fox made it easier. A few minutes later, Finnick led Nick to a bus stop and they got on a bus. It's destination, Tundratown. Finnick led Nick an empty lot where he put his paws in the snow, pour some red juice, and added a stick. After a few minutes...

"Okay. Take it out now." Finnick said to Nick. Nick pulled the stick out to reveal a popsicle with a pawprint on it. "There you go. A pawprint popsicle."

"Kinda wordy. How about... a _pawpsicle_?" Nick suggested.

"Hmm. Simple and clever. I like it." Finnick said liking the name.

Nick then started sucking on the tip of the popsicle.

"Not bad. Surprise it doesn't taste like feet." Nick said to Finnick as he hs more of the pawpsicle.

"Thanks, I guess." Finnick said not sure if he should feel offended. "Anyway, I hope you're good now."

"A bit. But I'll get better once I get back at those scout of Troop 914." Nick said with a serious look on his face.

"Woah! You actually want to get revenge on those guys?" Finnick asked looking surprised.

"I have to." Nick said boldly. "But it's not really about revenge. It's about teaching them a lesson. I don't want them to pull the same stunt on anyone else... if they haven't already."

"You sure you want to do that?" Finnick asked.

"You see, I have this friend. Her name is Judy. We still haven't known each other for that long, but her friendship means a lot to me." Nick said. "She told me that I can't just give up on everything. I have to try and make things better for myself."

"It's gonna be close to impossible for you." Finnick stated. "Remember, we're foxes and..."

"I don't care." Nick said firmly. It nearly caught Finnick off guard. "I made a promise to Judy and I intend to keep it."

Finnick took one look at Nick and could tell that he took his words seriously. Most foxes that go through what Nick has usually quit. Finnick himself was one of them. But Nick seems really determined to better himself.

"Man, you're the first fox I have ever seen be so sure of himself." Finnick said with a smile. "This girl must be some fox to make you want to work so hard."

Nick started to blush and took about 3 seconds before he responds to Finnick. "She's... actually a bunny."

Finnick's eyes widen and now he took 3 seconds before responding to Nick. "You're lying."

"I'm not. Judy's really a bunny." Nick stated.

"But... bunnies barely want to get 2 feets close to us foxes." Finnick stated still shocked by the information.

"Judy's... different." Nick said still blushing a bit as he thinks about Judy. "She trusts me and I trust her."

"Huh. You're really surprised, Nick." Finnick said to Nick impressed that a bunny actually trusts him.

"You surprise me too, Finnick." Nick said happily to Finnick before taking a bite out of his pawpsicle. "For someone who's around my age, you're pretty wise. How old are you exactly? 8? 9?"

"I recently turned 11." Finnick said.

Nick nearly choked on his pawpsicle after hearing that. "WHAT?! You're 2 years older than me?! But you're so short!"

"HEY! NOT MY FAULT MY SPECIES IS SHORT!" Finnick shouted out angrily and shaking his fist.

As odd as it was, that's how Finnick and Nick met and how they became friends. They would meet again a week later. Finnick was walking down the streets of downtown by himself again with his headphones in his ears. As he walked, he felt someone tapped the top of his head. Finnick doesn't really like being head-tapped.

He takes his headphones off and turns around. "Alright, who's the wise guy that's..." Finnick said before looking at the culprit. He stopped when he noticed that it was Nick.

"Helloooooooo!" Nick said in a very cheery matter. "Thought it was you."

"Nick?" Finnick said surprised by the fox's happy demeanor.

"In the fur." Nick said happily.

Finnick felt that Nick took a complete 360 from a week ago.

"What's with that grin? He looks so... happy." Finnick though. "Like all the problems of the world couldn't bother him."

A few minutes later, Nick explained how he got even with the scouts of Troop 914 thanks to Judy as they walked.

"So... you actually got even with the boys that muzzled you." Finnick said. "That's why you seem so proud of yourself."

"It felt soooo good. Like, you wouldn't believe how good it felt." Nick said grinning.

"Heh! Guess you're one of the lucky foxes to actually get some justice. Nice work." Finnick said giving Nick a thumbs up.

"Thanks." Nick said smiling. "Can't believe I wasn't the only one they pull the stunt on."

"Goes to show you that it's not just predators that can be savage." Finnick said.

"That's what I told Judy." Nick said. "Anyway, we put a stop to them. They won't be doing that again if they know what's good for them."

"Bravo, man." Finnick said holding his paw out wanting to have a high paw.

"Thanks again." Nick said before giving him some paw. "So Finn, you busy?"

"Not really." Finnick answered.

"How about coming to my place?" Nick asked. "My house isn't too far and it's pretty close to dinner time."

"I think I'll pass." Finnick said declining the offer.

Even though Finnick said no, Nick had a sly grin on his face. He then got in front of Finnick and lean down to his level.

"Do you honestly believe I'll take no for an answer?" Nick asked Finnick.

Nick then lifted up Finnick and started carrying him on his shoulders.

"Hey! Put me down!" Finnick said getting a bit mad and flailing around a bit. "I do NOT like being carried."

Nick carried Finnick the entire way to his home. He opened up the door and announced himself.

"Mom, Pop, I'm home!" Nick shouted out.

"Welcome home, sweetie!" Frankie shouted from upstairs.

"Also, I brought a friend with me." Nick shouted.

"A friend!?" Frankie and John shouted out sounding surprised.

The two then rushed down the stairs to see Nick's new friend. He rarely brings anyone to their house. Actually, this would be the first time excluding Judy. The two make down the stairs and see their son's 'little' friend.

"Mom, Pop, this is my friend, Finnick." Nick said introducing Finnick. "Finnick, this is my pop, John, and my mom, Francine."

"Umm... hello." Finnick said trying to sound polite.

"Hello there." John said greeting the small fox.

"So nice to meet you." Frankie said also greeting Finnick with a warm smile.

"Finn here is staying for dinner. Is that okay?" Nick asked his parents.

"Hang on. I never said I'd..." Finnick said stating that he didn't ask to stay for dinner.

"Sure it's okay." John said happily. "Right, Frankie?"

"Of course. I'll be sure to put an extra plate on the table." Frankie said okay with the idea.

Finnick's eye widen as he hears that. He didn't expect Nick's parents to be so willing to allow him to stay for dinner so quickly. It made him felt uncomfortable.

"Ho... hold on. I don't even know if my folks are okay with this." Finnick stated with his paws up. "I should at least check with them first."

"Okay." Frankie said. "You can use our phone and call them."

"Umm... my parents are very strict. So don't expect an okay." Finnick stated.

So Finnick used the Wilde's house phone to call his dad. To his surprise...

"If they are offering you a free meal, then take it." Finnick's dad said.

"You... sure you and your ma are fine with this?" Finnick asked.

"Absolutely." Finnick's dad answered. "Just remember, be a good guest."

"Yes, sir." Finnick said to his dad.

"Just don't be gone too late and I'll see you at home." Finnick's dad said.

"Alright. See you at home, pops." Finnick said before putting the phone up.

As Finnick hanged up the phone, Frankie happened to be right behind him.

"Sounds like your parents are fine with the idea." Frankie said.

"BAAAAHHH!" Finnick shouted out. Frankie kind of scared her a bit.

"Oh. Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you, dearly." Frankie said apologizing.

"It's not really okay to listen to other people's call." Finnick stated.

"Sorry. Just want to know if you are fine with what we are serving tonight. Veggie Chili with beans, cornbread, and blueberry pie for dessert." Frankie said.

"That actually sounds pretty good." Finnick said.

"Good to hear." Frankie said smiling. "Just make yourself home until then. Okay, dear?"

Finnick's cheek turned slightly red. Nick's mom treated him so... nice. Not even his own mom seem as nice and warm as Frankie was. Actually, Finnick has never met anyone as nice as Frankie was to him.

"O... kay, ma'am." Finnick said looking a bit nervous. Frankie responded by giving Finnick another warm smile.

Later, Nick showed Finnick around the house. Including the parts around his dad's shop. Finnick was amazed by all the suits and fabrics around.

"So your old man's a tailor?" Finnick asked as he looked at one of the suits.

"Yup. Pop makes suits for a living." Nick replied. "Big or small, my dad has a suit for anyone."

"Why did he want to be a tailor?" Finnick asked.

"Pop believed with a nice suit on, a mammal can get a better image. You know, look more respectable." Nick stated.

"Hate to break it to ya, but a takes more than just a fancy suit to get another mammal to look _respectable_. And it can't be easy for your pops since he's a fox." Finnick said.

"Maybe you're right, but's that's what pop wants to do. He wants people to change the way people think about others." Nick said. "Unlike most people, pop is bold, determined, and honest."

"An honest fox? People will find that hard to believe." Finnick said with his arms crossed.

"Then maybe you should talk with him?" Nick said before pointing at his basement. "He's down at his workshop working on a suit. See if he's not how I described."

"Alright." Finnick said.

So Finnick went down the stair leading to the basement. AKA John's workshop. Finnick sees a bunch of fabric and unfinished suits that John has been working on. He then sees John on a desk sewing up one of his suits. Finnick had a strong feeling when he was talking with Frankie. Would he get the same from talking with John.

"Yo, Mr. Wilde?" Finnick said making himself known.

"Oh. It's you. Finnick, right?" John asked making sure he got his name right.

"Yep. That's it, sir." Finnick replied. "So, Nick tells me you're a tailor."

"You guessed it. I make suits for the big and small." John said proudly as he still stitches up his suit.

"Nick told me that too." Finnick stated. "No offense, but I think it's a bit odd that a fox wants to make being a tailor his main career."

"True." John answered. "But unfortunately, I'm too honest of a mammal to do the 'usual' fox careers."

John has an honest nature and that was rare for most mammals. Let alone a fox. This surprised Finnick quite a bit.

"Anywho, I should thank you for being friends with my boy." John said to Finnick. "Nick barely makes many friends. So it's good to know that he has one. Especially since you're also a fox."

"Umm... you're welcome, sir." Finnick said. Finnick started rubbing his left arm a bit. It felt weird that Finnick was so honest. It made him want to be a bit honest about himself too. "Mr. Wilde, you sure you want me to be friends with Nick? Cause I can tell you right now, I'm not exactly a 'good' influence."

"How so?" John asked.

"Umm... well... I get into trouble and fight with others." Finnick stated.

"Is that so?" John said as he stopped working on his suit. He then got out of his chair and walked toward Finnick. He leans down to speak with him properly. "Let me ask you three questions. One, do you get into trouble or does trouble find you?"

"Uhhhh..." Finnick went.

"Two, do you get into fights cause you started them or were forced to cause you needed to defend yourself?" John asked.

"Uhhhh..." Finnick went.

"Lastly three, if you were really bad kid, why would you tell me that you are one instead of hiding it?" John asked starting to smirk.

"Uhhh... well... you see..." Finnick went not knowing what to say at all.

"Listen." John said had he put his paw on top of Finnick's head. "Take it from someone who's been in your shoes."

"We don't wear shoes." Finnick stated since no shoes were on either of their feet.

"Figure of speech, son." John said. "Anyway, it doesn't matter what you are or who you think you are on the outside. What matters is who you are..." John then pointed at his chest where his heart is. "... right here. Nick isn't the kind of boy who becomes friends with anybody. He likes certain people that have a charm to them. So it doesn't matter what trouble you MAY get into. Just be a good friend to Nick and you see him anytime you want."

Finnick didn't know what it was about John, but it was like he had a certain 'glow' around him. The fennec fox looked at John with eyes of admiration. Never has he heard words from someone that sound so... honest. Finnick felt very respectful for John Wilde and the fact that he a fox made him respected him even more.

"Mr. Wilde, I... don't know if I can be a good friend to Nick. But I'll do my best to try." Finnick said boldly.

"Good. That's all I'm asking." John said with a smile as he gets back up. "Now, I got to help my wife with the chili for dinner. It's my family recipe and you're gonna love it."

"I'll take your word for it." Finnick said with a smile.

Later, dinner was served and Finnick ate with the Wildes. They talk about their day and tell some stories. Usual family dinner stuff. While Finnick liked his folks, he didn't often have a nice dinner where the three of them usually just sit together and talk. He's used to having frozen dinners or takeout. This was different for him, but it was nice. After dinner, it was time for Finnick to head home. Nick walked with Finnick outside to see him off.

"Tell your folks' thanks for the grub." Finnick said to Nick.

"It was no problem. They like to cook for others." Nick said happily. "So you are heading home?"

"Gotta. I live in Sahara Square, so I got to take the subway train home before it gets too late." Finnick stated.

"Well then, see ya." Nick said.

"Later." Finnick said giving Nick a finger gun.

As Finnick started walking off, Nick stopped him for one more thing.

"Hey, Finn?" Nick shouted out getting his attention. "I forgot to ask you. I'm forming my own pack with my friend, Judy. Would you like to be a part of it?"

"What? So it's like a pack that's the complete opposite that pack you tried to join." Finnick said.

"Yeah. It would be totally awesome if you join. What do you say?" Nick asked.

"I'll pass." Finnick replied. "It's not really my thing, you know?"

"Oh." Nick said as he ears droop down and he started looking sad. "Okay."

"But that doesn't mean we can't hang out, right?" Finnick asked looking back at Nick with a smile.

Nick's sadness quickly went away and he started to smile again. "Right!" He then had a sly smirk on his face. "But you should know, like I said before, I don't take no for an answer. I'll make sure you join the pack sooner or later."

Finnick didn't respond. He just gave out a smirk and then left. He didn't say it then, but he had **always** considered being part of the Zoo-Burrow Scouts, even before he officially joined. For the longest time, Finnick was close to Nick and his family. It was clear that Nick wasn't just Finnick's friend, but his best friend. It's probably why he's been acting the way he has.

As those memories left him, Finnick was still sitting on top of the tree. Slowly climbing up the tree was Nick, who was able to find him pretty quickly. Nick stopped at the branch Finnick was on and sat by Finnick on the branch. It was thick enough to hold both of them, so Nick didn't worry about falling.

"It's a good thing I'm good at climbing too. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have come up here." Nick said to Finnick. He didn't respond back. Nick looked pretty sad, but he knew that Finnick was even sadder. "This isn't about the pawpsicles or the money, isn't it?"

"*sigh* You always have to figure things out, do ya?" Finnick said not sounding to surprise Nick had figured out what was wrong with him. "I was fine. I was fine where I was. Whether it was being alone or being friends with you, I would have been fine. But then... you became a big brother... and you and Judy getting together..."

Once Nick heard that he had completely understood what had been bothering Finnick this whole time.

"I knew that compared to Bunny Girl I was always your #2. But now, I don't even feel like I'm in your top 5." Finnick stated. "I'm not hating on any of them, yet... I can't help but feel..." Finnick waited a few seconds before saying the word. "... jealous. Things are so different now from when we were kids. It's hard to believe how so much has changed. Guess I'm not as used to it as I thought I was."

Finnick wasn't the kind of person to let jealous take over him, but that what seem to be the case. Nick knew what to say to his friend.

"Finnick, you're right. Things are different." Nick said agreeing with Finnick. "I just started dating Carrots and I got to look after the minis. But Finn, that doesn't mean I don't think of you any less."

"Sure feels like it." Finnick said crossing his arms.

"I will say this. You aren't my #2." Nick told him. "Because with you... you're... the first close thing to a brother that I have ever had."

Finnick's eyes widen when he hears Nick say those words.

"You... really think of me as a brother?" Finnick asked.

"Of course." Nick said nodding.

"You never told me that." Finnick said.

"Didn't think I had to." Nick said.

"Heh. Guess not." Finnick said as he scratching the back of his head.

The two foxes look at each other with a light smile. Seems like whatever tension was between the two boys was gone now.

"We good?" Nick asked with his right fist out.

"We good." Finnick said bumping Nick's fist back.

"Wanna head back?" Nick asked.

"Yeah." Finnick said nodding.

Working things out, the two foxes climb down the tree and make their way back to Judy and the twins. It took about a minute. Judy had already made the twins stop crying.

"Yo! We're back and we're all good now." Nick said to Judy.

"Already?" Judy asked surprised. "It's only been like... 6 minutes. You already patched things up?"

"Uh huh." Nick and Finnick said.

"How? Finnick was so steamed earlier." Judy stated.

"And after talking with Nick, I'm better." Finnick stated.

"Seriously? That soon?" Judy asked.

"Carrots, maybe you forgot one thing." Nick said.

"What's that?" Judy asked.

"We're guys." Nick and Finnick said firmly.

"Of course." Judy said with a straight face.

Now that Finnick was feeling better, he felt that he should apologize to Judy.

"Listen... Bunny G... you know, I should stop calling you that." Finnick said. He usually calls Judy, Bunny Girl. But was thinking he should put that to rest. "Carrots..." But that doesn't mean he wouldn't call Judy by her other nickname. "... I know I can be... difficult sometimes and have a short temper. So... sorry."

"It's fine." Judy said accepting Finnick's apology. "However, you also have to apology to Toddy and Vixey as well."

"Seriously? The twins?" Finnick asked a bit surprised he has to apology to babies.

"Trust me, they're smart babies. So you better apology to them too." Nick said to Finnick.

"Fine..." Finnick said not looking too happy.

Finnick walked over to the carrier holding the twins. Todd looked a bit mad as he crossed his little arms. Vicky looked sad as she sucked on her pacifier. Both of them still feel pretty upset with Finnick.

"Umm... Todd, Vix, I knew your brother before you two were even born. So when came along, it was kinda hard for us to hang out like we usually to. Anyway, I may have said something I didn't mean and I'm sorry." Finnick said apologetically.

After Finnick's apologized, the twins both seem less upset with Finnick. Vicky then took out her pacifier and tried giving it to Finnick. This confused the little fox.

"Ahh! Ahh" Vixey said with her pacifier in her paw.

'Uhhhhh..." Finnick went.

"Awwww! Vixey wants to give you her binky as a peace offering." Nick said think it was cute.

"What?! I'm not taking that!" Finnick said strictly.

"You better. Unless you **want** to upset her again." Nick asked with a smirk and raising an eyebrow. Judy was doing the same.

If there was one thing Finnick hold dear more than his respect, it was his dignity. Him putting a baby's pacifier in his mouth was definitely in that category. Yet... Finnick couldn't say no to Vicky's innocent face. So, he shallows his pride, took the pacifier and put it in his mouth. As he sucked on it, Toddy and Vicky seemed happy enough. Nick and Judy could barely hold in their laughter. If not because Finnick had a baby pacifier in his mouth, then because Finnick's height already made him look like a baby. Nick and Judy slowly reach in their pockets for their phone wanting to take a picture.

"DON'T... EVEN!" Finnick said showing his teeth as he still has the pacifier in his mouth.

"Alright. Alright." Nick said as he and Judy put their phones back in their pockets. Nick then looked at the cooler and noticed only one pawpsicle was left. "Only one left."

"It was the only one that didn't fell to the ground." Judy stated. "Better one than none, right?"

"Right." Finnick said no longer taking the pawpsicles too seriously anymore.

"Not losing your temper? Someone's growing." Nick said happily.

Finnick may not have grown in inches, but he did grow in humbleness. He was learning to control his temper and tolerate other better now. It was still minor, but it was a start.

A few seconds later, a female pig went over to Nick and the other. She notices the pawpsicle sign and the last popsicle.

"What do we have here?" The pig asked.

"Oh. We're just selling some pawpsicles, ma'am." Nick said. "That just happened to be our last one."

"Well, it is pretty h..." The pig said considering buying one. Her attention then went to Toddy, Vicky, and Finnick. "Oh my gosh! Who are they?"

"Those are my siblings." Nick answered. "That's baby Todrick, baby Victoria,... " Nick then had his grin on. "... and baby Finnick. He's adopted, by the way."

Finnick was caught off guard by Nick saying that. He was still wearing the pacifier after all. Finnick really wanted to let Nick have it, but... he was still trying to control himself. So... he went with it.

"Awwww! They're all so cute." The pig said with a smile.

"Yeah. I'm taking care of them since my mom is at the nursing hospital." Nick said.

"Oh." The pig said starting to look sad. "You poor boy."

"Huh?" Nick said confused why she would say that.

The pig then dug into her purse and took out a $20 bill to give to Nick. "Here, sweetie. You keep the change." The pig said to Nick.

"20 bucks?!" Nick shouted out. "Ma'am, the pawpsicle is only worth 2."

"It's fine. I mean, you taking care of your brothers and sisters while your mother is at the hospital getting treated..." It seems that the pig got the wrong idea. "... it shows how great of a big brother you are."

"Uhhh... actually ma'am..." Nick said about to explain the truth.

"No. Say nothing else. More boys need to be like you." The pig said. She then took her pawpsicle and left.

Nick was still feeling dumbfounded. Finnick took out the pacifier from his mouth.

"Dude, she thought when you said your mom as at the hospital, she was actually getting taken care off at the hospital. Not working at one. She also gave you 20 smackers cause of the twins." Finnick stated.

"She totally had the wrong id..." Nick said before Finnick shouted out something.

"I LOVE THIS TWO!" Finnick shouted out as he held the twins. "How would have guessed these two would be such cash cows? We're are bringing these two everytime we sell pawsicles for now on."

"Dude, you can't use my brother and sister as customer bait." Nick said firmly.

"Why not? They have all this cuteness. Add me the factor and we're golden." Finnick stated.

"Once again, old Finnick's back." Judy said with a straight face.

"Didn't take long, did it?" Nick asked Judy also with a straight face.

"You never do what I want." Finnick said looking grouchy. He then put the twins back into their carriage.

"Alright. We sold all our pops and with the 20, we even made your usual quota." Judy stated. "So what do we do now?"

"Let's head home and chill. Maybe play some video games." Nick suggested.

"Sounds good." Finnick said.

"Okay. Back to your house." Judy said.

After a productive day, the group decided to head on back to Nick's house. While there may have been some rough patches, it was an okay day. However, as they walk back, Finnick still had some... ideas.

"How about the minis and I put on costumes?" Finnick asked.

"No." Nick and Judy said.

"Not even of other animals?" Finnick asked.

"No." Nick and Judy said again.

"What about..." Finnick asked.

"No." Nick and Judy said not even letting him finish.

"Oh come on. I didn't even tell you what is was." Finnick said.

"Fine. What?" Nick asked afraid he would regret it.

"We get the minis to say a bunch cute baby words that pull on other people's heartstrings." Finnick suggested.

"Toddy, Vicky, do you got anything to say?" Nick asked his siblings.

"No." Todd and Vicky said.

"Good choice." Judy said.

"They're babies. What do they know?" Finnick asked.

"More than you think." Judy stated.

 **That's all for this chapter. Before I start working on the next one, let me say somethings. I know I keep people waiting sometimes. But know this, just because I don't post in a month, doesn't mean I stopped working on this story. I don't work exclusively on this story alone and I was in a bit of a writer's slump. So even if it takes 3 MONTHS for the next chapter, be patient. This isn't me trying to offend my readers. It's just so you can all understand. I do have others story I need to do as well as new ideas I want to do. With that said, see ya next chapter.**


	5. To Everyone, Their Own Story

**There is a saying that goes, "To everyone, their own story.". That's the case for this chapter. For this one, Nick, Judy, and the gang meet three different kids their ages and hear their stories. One thing I did as a kid was talking to others about certain as aspects of my life. So doing this felt natural. I think I said enough. Let's begin the chapter. Also, sorry if it seems like my chapters for this are taking too long. Sometimes when I work on a new story, I lose track of my other ones. Also, I was in a bit of a slump... again and my flash drive melted. It LITERALLY melted. It was only luck that I still had the story file on my computer. That... and Spider-Man for the PS4 came out. Best Superhero game ever BTW. Again, really sorry this took so long. Now on with the story.**

* * *

It was another warm day in the city of Zootopia. Nick, Judy, and the gang were hanging out together again. As they walk down the street, Nick was writing on his list for Summer plans. Before, it was empty. Now it had a decent amount of stuff written on it. From laser tag, to bike rides, to eating out together.

"Alright gang, this list is going quite well." Nick said happily to his friends. He then folded up the list and put it in his pocket. "I'm sure we can fit in some more stuff as the Summer goes by."

"Right. The Summer's still just starting. So we got plenty of time." Benji said with a smile.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Judy asked.

"Ooh! The gas station's not too far from here. How bout we go out for slushies?" Mervin suggested.

"Slushies sounds awesome." Ronnie said liking the idea.

"And good way to beat the heat." Falisha stated.

"I can go for a slush." Darson said.

"Me... too." Flash said.

"Ditto." Finnick said.

"Guess we're all in agreement." Audran said.

"Okay then. Let's go out for slushies." Nick said sounding eager.

Everyone else started running ahead of Nick and Judy.

"Hey! Wait up!" Nick and Judy shouted out. A second later they all ran after him and everyone else followed.

The gas station was still a jog from where the kids were. Yet as they make their way there, they saw something going on. A group of teenage boys, and ox, and rhino, and a weasel, all seem to be picking on a skunk girl, who was down on the ground. The skunk girl wore a white shirt and a pink skirt.

"Look over there." Mervin said pointing at the group.

"It looks like that girl's in trouble." Judy stated.

"Grrrr..." Nick growled not liking the sight of someone getting bullied. "Come on."

None of the kids were a fan of bullying. This included former bully, Darson. So they head over there to stop this injustice. Nick and Judy were the first two to confront them.

"Hey!" Judy shouted out getting the bullies' attention. "Leave her alone."

"Back off, little bunny. This ain't your problem." The ox said in a threating matter.

"If you're being a bully to someone who doesn't deserve to be bullied, then it is a problem." Judy said firmly.

"He said back off." The ox said. "Besides, a skunk's nothing but a stinky excuse of a mammal."

"Oh. Sooooo typical." Nick said stepping in front of Judy. "Bullies bullying an innocent skunk just because of her reputation of being a skunk. But what does that mean about your 3? A rhino and ox who charge at things like total idiots and a weasel who needs to hide behind bigger mammals to make himself feel safe?"

None of the three were too fond of Nick's comment and growled in anger. The weasel then stepped in front of Nick.

"Listen pal, unless you and the bunny want trouble too, then you better..." The weasel said before stopping when he sees figures from behind Nick and Judy. It was Ronnie and Darson.

Ronnie and Darson had very angry glares in their faces. This made the 3 bullies start to be scared. Fear added up when the rest of the gang showed up.

"Leave." Ronnie said angrily.

"Now." Darson added just as angry.

"L... Let's get out of here!" Said the frighten weasel. He and the others quickly ran off.

"That's when being a scary bear is useful." Ronnie said sounding normal.

"Same from me. Switch the bear with coyote." Darson said.

Judy then walked over to the girl skunk on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Judy asked as she offers a paw to help the skunk out.

"Me? Oh. I'm fine." The skunk replied as she accepts Judy's paw and gets back up. She then bushes her clothes. "My pride's not bruised. Can't lose what you don't have."

"Uhhhh..." Judy went.

"EEEEKKKK! OH NO!" The skunk shouted out. She then got all flustered and looked left and right for something. "Where are they?! Where are they?!"

"Where are what?" Judy asked.

"My glasses! I need to find..." The skunk said as she looked left and right. She then spotted a pair of rectangular glasses with a black frame not too far from here and looked happy. "Oh goody. There they are." She picked them up from the ground. "My vision's not totally bad, but it's 100% with these on. Mom always said 'Why go for less when you can go for 100.'." She took a look at her glasses and noticed that they weren't cracked. "Oh double goody. They're not broken. That would have been _baaaaaad_." After wiping them clean, she then put them on and got a good look at her saviors. "Oh. There's a lot of you."

"We have a big group." Nick stated.

"So many different mammals. Preys and Preds all mashed up together. I love it." The skunk said in a cheery matter.

The group thought this skunk was... unusual. One second she seemed timid, the next she was all... ditzy.

"I should introduce myself. My name is Mildred. But my friends call me Mimi..." The skunk said introducing herself. She then whispered to herself "... if I had any.".

"Hey, Mimi. I'm Judy." Judy said waving at Mimi.

Inside her head, Mimi was getting giddy. "EEEEKKK! She called me Mimi. That means we're friends. YES!"

"I'm Nick." Nick said being next to introduce himself.

"Oh. I already know who you are." Mimi said to Nick.

"You do?" Nick asked surprised.

"Nick Wilde, most popular fox kid in school, straight A student, all around great guy." Mimi stated knowing this stuff about Nick.

"Huh. That's about right." Nick said pridefully.

"We... also went to kindergarten together." Mimi stated.

"R... Really?" Nick asked surprised to hear that.

"Yeah. You probably don't remember me. Or noticed me." Mimi said. "Most people don't."

"Oh. Sorry." Nick said as he scratched the back of his head. "That's not cool of me. I am trying to know everybody when I get older. Consider yourself memorized."

"Great. Besides my family, you may be the first." Mimi stated.

"Hi, Mimi. I'm Ben. Everyone likes to call me Benji." Benji said waving.

"I'm Mervin." Mervin said.

"Finnick." Finnick said.

"I'm Falisha." Falisha said.

"Audran." Audran said.

"Call me Ronnie." Ronnie said.

"I'm... Flash." Flash said.

"And I'm Darson." Darson said.

Mimi was getting giddy again.

"This is it! **Real** possible friends. DON'T screw this up, Mildred." Mimi thought.

"So Mimi, why were those guy bullying you?" Nick asked.

"Oh, you know. The usual." Mimi replied.

"The usual?" Falisha asked.

"You know the 'Get lost, skunk!' or 'Don't go stinking up the place.' Then, of course, there's the name calling." Mimi stated. "You would think since we're evolved, their behavior would be. But no. Their brains are still barely the size of peanuts. Maybe smaller." Mimi then started to sound more infuriated. "Just because I'm a skunk, doesn't mean I'm a living stink bomb that you need to cover your noses EVERYTIME I COME AROUND! I MEAN, COME ON!"

Everyone had 'freaked out' expressions on their faces and took a step back from Mimi. Mimi realizes this and cools down a bit.

"Oh. Sorry! Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Mimi said all frantic. "I didn't mean to scare you. It's... just the way I am sometimes." After taking a deep breath, she started to sound calmer. "You guys must not know what it's like to be judged by your species."

Everyone took a quick look at each other. Mimi couldn't be more wrong.

"Actually... I think I speak for all of us when I say we do." Nick stated.

"Huh?" Mimi said surprised to hear that.

"The guys in our group had to deal with this once or twice." Judy stated.

"Even so, we have an adventurous bunny, an honest fox, and a chubby cheetah just to name a few." Finnick said.

"Quite a group. Quite a group indeed." Mimi said thinking the gang was nifty.

"Thanks." Everyone else said with a smile.

Mervin realized time was being wasted as they talked to Mimi. They were actually busy with something.

"Guys, slushies?" Mervin reminded everyone.

"Oh. Right." Nick said remembering. "Mimi, it was nice talking to you, but we're kinda busy getting somewhere."

"Yeah. We're off for some slushies. So, see ya." Judy said as she passes Mimi by with the others following.

"Slushies, huh?" Mimi said as her interest started to peak. "The nice and icy treat with the artificial flavoring of one's choosing. Nice for a hot day like today... with a bunch of other people." Mimi looked a bit depressed as she said that.

The gang stops walking. It was clear to them that Mimi wanted to join them. But a few of them felt a little hesitant. Judy was the one to speak out.

"Do you... wanna come?" Judy asked Mimi.

"EEP!" Mimi went as she was trying to hold in her joy. "I would be very grateful if I could. Thank you for the offering." She then quickly ran ahead of everyone. "Race ya there."

As Mimi ran more and more ahead of everyone, some of them started to feel more... concern on whether it was a good idea to let her join them.

After minutes later, everyone got their slushies and drank them outside of the store. Each of the kids had a slushie with a flavor of their liking. Mimi... she had a slushie with 6 different layers of colors. Red, blue, green, orange, white, and purple. Mimi was drinking up her slushie and was already getting brain freeze.

"Ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh!" Mimi went holding her throbbing head. After the throbbing stopped, she just went back to sipping again. Once again, she got brain freeze. "Ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh!"

"You know it helps to drink it slowly." Judy told the skunk.

"Yeeeeah, but I kinda liked the feeling. You know, like when you have really spicy food? You like it cause it makes you feel alive." Mimi stated.

"Hmm. I get that." Judy said getting what she means.

"By the way, Judy, do I know you from somewhere? You look familiar." Mimi said as she ponders about Judy's appearance.

"Don't think so. I'm really from Bunnyburrow." Judy stated to Mimi before taking a sip of her slushie.

"Hmm... but it seems like I..." Mimi said. It then hit her. "AH-HA! Now I know. You were her. The bunny from the Spring Fling."

The Spring Fling was the name of Nick's school dance 3 years ago. Nick invited Judy to come as his date. It was also the night of Nick and Judy's first kiss.

"If memories right, you were the one dancing with Nick. I think you two were also kissing on the dance floor." Mimi said.

Nick and Judy spat out their slushies after hearing Mimi say that.

"WHAT?!" Nick and Judy shouted out both red-faced.

"Okay. I WAS at that dance. But Nick and I did NOT kiss and the dance floor." Judy said looking flustered.

"They kissed **after** the dance." Finnick stated.

"Ahh..." Nick and Judy went wanting to hide that fact. But there was no point.

"Well, yeah..." Nick admitted.

"Ohhhhhhhhh. So you two are this cute longtime couple, riiiiiight?" Mimi asked looking googly eyes.

"Noooo." Nick stated firmly. "We are not this longtime couple."

"They just started dating last week." Finnick stated.

"Yeeeeeah..." Nick and Judy said both blushing a bit.

"Oh. So fresh romance." Mimi said smiling a lot. "Quite unusual since you are a bunny and a fox. I like it."

Mimi seems to have a very opened mind. As well as spoke with one. She seemed like quite a nice person. Too nice to be bullied.

"So Mimi, why were those guys bothering you?" Judy asked.

"Sadly, it's one of the only times I get notice." Mimi stated looking sad. "Some who see the stripe, there like... ' _Stay away!_ '. Other, there like _'Get outta town!'_. Me, I... kinda try to getting away when I can."

"Mimi, you shouldn't let bullies push you around like that. Stand up for yourself." Ronnie said boldly.

"Yeah. Don't let anyone push you around." Darson added.

"We can't all be tough bears or coyotes like you two." Mimi stated. "I'm not tough. I don't speak out. I barely even stick out in a crowd. Except for when I do."

"Why is that? Don't you want people to get to know you?" Judy asked.

"Why would people WANT to know me?" Mimi asked sounding a bit sad. "*sigh* Look, I know you guys can tell that I'm a little... _awkward_."

"Ah..." Everyone else went.

"Don't bother lying about it. You all have known me only for a few minutes and it's true." Mimi stated. "I'm ditzy, I have no backbone, and everyone's afraid I'd stink up the place just by being in the same area. No one wants to be friends with that."

Mimi must have it really rough to be the way she is. Not really having any friends or people thinking she was different. But truth be told, she wasn't that different from Nick, Judy, and the gang.

"Well... we think you're pretty neat." Judy said.

"Huh?" Mimi said looking surprised.

"Being ditzy isn't a problem. It just means that you're unique." Nick stated. "It's good to be unique. It keeps everyone from being the same."

"Yeah. No one wants to be like everyone in their species. I mean, look at all of us." Benji said all jolly. "I'm a cheetah, but I'm faaaaaaaaaaar from being a runner."

"I seem like a tough guy, but I'm actually closer to a teddy bear." Ronnie stated.

"I laugh at almost EVERY joke I hear..." Mervin said.

"Almost?" Everyone else said as they all raised an eyebrow knowing that he really laughs at EVERY joke he hears.

"... BUT that doesn't mean I can't be serious at some time." Mervin said finishing his sentence.

"It... may... seem... slow..." Flash said talking slowly. He then spoke at a normal speed. "... but I'm full of surprises."

"DID HE JUST..." Mimi shouted out stunned by Flash speaking fast for a sloth.

"Don't overthink it." Nick, Judy, and the others said.

"The point is... let people know you and open up to them. That's how you make yourself noticeable." Judy said.

"Will it also get me friends?" Mimi asked.

"You ask us?" Judy asked with a big smile. "After all, we're all your friends now. Right, guys?"

"Right." Nick and the others said nodding.

Mimi could barely hold her excitement after hearing Judy say that. For the first time in her life, Mimi actually had friends.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Mimi squealed high pinched enough to hurt the other kids' ears. "Oh! Sorry. Just a bit... overexcited."

"Even with that and our ears bleeding..." Finnick said as he tries to un-pop his ears. "... we're still gonna be friends with ya. Just ease up on that."

"Okie dokie!" Mimi said all cheerfully. She then gulped from her slushie fastly again. Once again, she got brain freeze. "Ah ah ah ah ah!" She then realized that she probably shouldn't act like that in front of the other. "Oh. Sorry."

The kids all looked at each other before all fastly drinking their slushies like Mimi then. Of course, this led to all of them get brain freeze.

"AHHHHHHH!" Everyone shouted out as they had their paws on the side of the head.

"It's like a blizzard's in my brain!" Audran stated feeling the effects of the brain freeze.

"Cold! Pain! Cold Pain!" Benji wept.

"Wishing I was a polar bear now." Ronnie said thinking it would help him deal with the cold better.

"Yet, it's actually a nice feeling." Nick admitted.

"Yeah. Like Mimi said, makes you feel alive." Judy said smiling.

"Right?" Mimi said agreeing.

The kids all then shared some laughter. The laughter shared by new friends. After they finish their slushies, the gang said their goodbyes to Mimi as she headed home. The gang didn't want to head home, so they decided to walk to the park.

"So what do you guys think about Mimi?" Judy asked her friends.

"She seemed nice." Nick replied.

"Good girl. Little out there, tho." Finnick said.

"Not like the rest of us aren't." Benji stated.

"Yep. We're all still a group of weirdos, crazies, and crazy weirdos." Nick said with a grin.

"Speak for yourself, man." Finnick said thinking he's not any of those. "Let me say this."

"Hold that thought." Nick said halting the group.

"What's wrong?" Judy asked.

"Look." Nick said pointing at something in the distance.

In the distance were a few young mammals around their age. Three of the mammals were tough looking rams. One of them was a fox. A bit oranger than Nick and had a whiter muzzle. The gang wasn't sure what was going on. But it looked like the fox was in trouble.

"I think those rams are messing with that fox." Darson stated.

"If there's one thing I don't like, it's bullies messing with a fellow fox." Nick said looking mad. He had to help the fox out. "Come on."

Nick and the others dash over to help the fox. The fox seemed... calm... even with the position he was in. He had on a black shirt over a blue shirt, black jeans, a blue bandana on his head, and a short wooden sword on his back.

"Alright fox, I got my boys here with me this time and you are gonna regret making a fool out of me the other day." A black ram said.

"I didn't make you look like a fool. You are simply one yourself." The fox said in a Japawnese accent.

"That's it! You're dead." The black ram said angrily.

The ram then throws a punch at the fox. The fox simply dodged it with ease. The ram then tried throwing three more punches and the fox dodge each one of them. The fox then tripped the ram using his leg and causes the ram to fall on his face. The other two rams then charged at the fox. The fox backflipped away to dodge them. The two rams then charged at opposites end at the fox and the just simply took one step back. The rams bumped into each other and the impact made both of them dizzy. The fox then pulled out his wooden sword and hit them two times each before knocking both of them down to the floor. As the other ram gets back up, the fox points his sword in front of the ram's face. The ram now looked scared.

" _Ima sugu hashitte, kottonbōru_ _._ (Now run off, Cotton Ball.)" The fox said sounding serious.

Knowing when they were beaten, the three rams quickly ran away from the fox. Mostly likely never to mess with him again. As the fox put away his wooden sword, Nick, Judy, and the others saw everything and all of their jaws dropped.

"O... M... Goodness..." Benji said still stunned by what he just saw.

"That... has got to be... the most amazing thing I've ever seen... in my life." Finnick said still amazed that a fox could take on three rams by himself.

"Guess that fox doesn't need our help. But still..." Falisha said.

"Let's talk with him." Nick said to the others.

The gang walks over to this other fox and makes their presence noticed.

" _Anatahadaredesu ka? Anata wa hokanohito-tachi to issho ni iru wakede wa nai ndesu ka?_ (Who might you be? You're not with those others, are you?)" The fox said. He was speaking Japawnese again.

The gang all looked at each other confused on what the fox just said. Japanwnese wasn't in any of their vocabularies.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhh..." Judy went know knowing what the fox just said.

"Oh great. Another foreign kid we can barely understand." Finnick said not happy about that. "Someone get the English to Japawnese dictionary out."

"Oh. Apologies." The fox said before bowing. "Sometimes I speak my foreign tongue. But I speak English very well. I asked who might you be. I hope you're not with those three."

"Absolutely not." Nick said firmly. "I hate bullies. Especially when they mess with a fellow fox."

"I prefer 'kitsune'." The fox stated.

" _Kitsune_? What's that?" Nick asked.

"Japawnese word for fox. So, same thing." The fox stated.

"Oh. I see." Nick said getting it.

"So... might I ask, who are you?" The fox asked wanting to know who the gang was.

"Oh, right. My name is Nick Wilde." Nick said introducing himself.

"I'm Judy Hopps." Judy said cheerily.

"Ben Clawhauser, at your service." Benji said.

"Finnick Fawk. Nice to meet you." Finnick said lightly waving.

"I'm Mervin Howlino." Mervin said.

"Falisha Striza." Falisha said.

"Ronald Behr III. But call me Ronnie." Ronnie said.

"Audran Alkes. A pleasure." Audran said.

"Flash... Slothmore. Nice... to... meet... you." Flash said slowly.

"Last but not least, I'm Darson. Darson Coynac." Darson said.

"My name is Kenta. Kenta Kokugawa." The fox said before bowing again. "You can call me Ken, if you please."

"Hello, Ken. You don't sound like you're from here." Nick said noticing his accent.

"Cause I'm from Zookyo in Japaw." Ken stated. "My family is visiting here in Zootopia because they were considering me to become an exchange student for a school here when the semester starts.

"Cool." Finnick said intrigued.

"Japaw." Benji said in delight. "I always wanted to go there. The culture, anime, and the mind-blowing desserts."

"We are known for our sweets. I recommend Matcha Panna Cotta, Japawnese Cheesecake, Custard Pudding, Raindrop Cake, and Mochi Ice Cream." Ken said happily.

"Ohhhhh. Those all sound soooooooo good." Benji said already imaging the sweets in his head.

"What's... Mochi Ice Cream?" Mervin asked curiously. "It doesn't sound like the kind in a cone or cup."

"It's not. It's ice cream and jam wrapped up in mochi making it possible to eat with your paws." Ken stated. "It's quite popular where I'm from. It usually comes in strawberry, mango, and blueberry."

"Hmm. Sounds interesting and delicious." Falisha stated like the idea.

"I heard blueberry?" Nick and Darson said sounding interested.

"Those two are big fans of all things blueberry." Judy said smiling.

"Haha! I enjoy a fresh blueberry once and a while myself." Ken admitted. He wasn't that different from Nick and Darson.

"Great. Another blueberry boy." Darson said okay with that.

"So Ken, what you did with those 3 bullies were AWESOME!" Judy said excitedly. "Those moves with the sword and that backflip. So cool."

" _Arigatō, chīsana banī_ _._ (Thank you, little bunny.)" Ken said with a smile. "I trained for a few years to learn those." He then took the wooden sword out to show the others. "This sword I carried, I had it when I was still young. I trained everything not only to become stronger but to protect myself from _Sabetsu o suru hito._ "

"Wat?" Everyone else went not knowing what the last words of Ken's meant.

"Those who discriminate." Ken explained.

"Oh." The others said getting it.

"That still happens in Zookyo?" Falisha asked.

" _Hai_. (Yes.)" Ken said nodding. "People tend to focus on the negative and overlook the positive."

"Well, that ain't new." Finnick stated with his arms crossed.

"It's like others are clueless to the good things of foxes. In my cultures, foxes are considered to be lucky mammals as well as one of the only real mammals that can connect with any mammal. Big or small." Ken stated.

"Huh. Guess that explains why each of us is such good friends with our fellow fox here." Ronnie said smiling while patting Nick on the back.

"I can see that you have all been friends with Nick a long time." Ken stated. The others responded by nodding. "That's nice to know." Ken's attention then went to Judy. "Especially since one of you is a bunny."

"I've been friends with Nick longer than any of these guys here." Judy stated proudly.

"They have a 'close' relationship." Audran stated with a grin.

Nick and Judy blushed a bit but didn't really seem to be bothered by Audran's comment.

"Hmm. I feel that they a have a very strong connection." Ken thought. He could tell that Nick and Judy were very close for a fox and a rabbit.

"Say Kenta, think you can teach us how you did those awesome moves?" Nick asked eagerly.

"You... want to know how I fight? How come?" Ken asked.

"Those moves could come in handy when it comes to taking on big mammals." Nick stated.

"Hmm. Is that right?" Ken said raising an eyebrow. "Sorry. No can do. I can't just simply teach you something just so you could take on bigger mammals. You have to have a better reason." Ken then started to take his leave. "Now, if you would excuse me..."

Truth be told, Nick and Judy did had a good reason. As Ken walked, Judy said it out loud.

"Nick and I want to grow up to become police officers." Judy said honestly.

Hearing that, made Ken stop at his tracks. He then turns back around to the gang.

" _Mōichidoittekudasai._ Say that again." Ken said wanting to make sure he heard that right.

"Nick and I both want to become polices officer when we grow up. Even if there isn't any rabbits or foxes in the ZPD, we don't want that to stop us." Judy stated.

"However, there will be points where we may have to take on bigger and stronger mammals. We want to prepare ourselves." Nick said pumping his fist.

"Hmm. So that's your reason. An honorable reason, indeed." Ken said. With a good reason like that, Ken didn't see any reason why he couldn't teach them something. "Perhaps I could teach you all one thing. All of you, come with me."

A few minutes later, everyone went to a more open field in the park and sat down on the green grass. Ken wanted everyone to sit in a full lotus pose. They all did, but guys like Finnick, Benji, and Ronnie found it hard to keep their legs like that. Ken stood in front of everyone.

"Is everyone calm and focus?" Ken asked everyone with his eyes closed.

"Yes." Nick, Judy, and the others except for Finnick.

"Tch! I feel like my legs are about to snap." Finnick thought angrily.

"I'm... sensing some anger from one of you." Ken stated.

Everyone slowly turned their heads to look at Finnick. If there was anyone who had the most anger in this group, it was obviously him.

"Why are you all looking at me?!" Finnick asked looking angrily.

"Cause." Everyone else responded grins.

"Grrrrrrr..." Finnick growled.

"I'm not hearing calm and focus." Ken said still having his eyes closed.

"Sorry." Everyone else went.

"Now. Everyone, close your eyes." Ken instructed. The group all closed their eyes. "Did you notice how I manage to take care of the bullies?"

"You fought against them. But... it also felt like you didn't." Benji stated.

"Correct." Ken replied. "When they fought me, they fought out of anger. I stay calm and read their moves. Anger makes people reckless. Causing them to make mistakes."

"I'm familiar with that." Darson admitted he used to be that way.

"Anger is not a bad thing, but you got to give it form and release when you need to." Ken stated. "You probably noticed when I struck at them."

"Give the anger form." Nick said.

Ken then opened up his eyes. "Judy, Nick..." Ken said as he stood up. "... on your feet."

Nick and Judy opened up their eyes and stood up on their feet. Everyone else opened their eyes too but still sat down.

Kenta then walked up a bit closer to Nick and Judy.

"Now, pretend that you are about to fight me." Ken instructed to them wanting to see their fighting stances.

"Okay." Nick and Judy said.

Nick and Judy both pose in a stance that looked like they were ready to fight. Both of their stances were different. Ken noticed and walked over to each of them. First, with Judy.

"Judy, I noticed that while your fists are up, your left leg is also slightly up. That tells me that you rely on kicks as your main way of fighting." Ken stated. Ken's attention then went to Nick. "Nick, your knees are slightly bet, yet your fists are more forward. It tells me you rely on punches and maybe slashes with your claws. Yet, it also tells me you also rely on your feet as well." Ken then stepped back from the two. "Why did each of you chose to have a fighting stance like those?"

"Ummmm..." Nick went not sure how to answer.

"We don't know. It was just on our instinct." Judy answered.

" _Tadashī!_ (Correct!) Instinct!" Ken said. "Rely on those. Don't fight another mammal like another mammal. Fight like the mammals you are. A fox and a rabbit."

"Fight like the mammals we are." Nick and Judy said together.

"Right." Ken said nodding. "Judy, let me see your sidekick. Be sure to keep your other foot down to the ground.

"Okay." Judy said before getting ready.

Judy then performed a side kick with her left leg. It didn't seem to be forward enough.

"Straighten your kick more and add more effort." Ken said.

"Okay." Judy said nodded.

Judy put more effort to herself and performed another side kick. This time, the kick looked perfect in Ken's eyes.

" _Sugureta!_ (Excellent!)." Ken said impressed. "Nice for a second attempt. Keep that up and add some force to it and you might even be able to knock out a rhino with that kick."

"I... wouldn't go THAT far. I'm not that tough." Judy said as she smiles awkwardly. "Not yet at least."

"Now Nick, as a fellow kitsune, we use our claws as our main way of fighting. But, that's not always a good thing. The right strike at the right place, you can rip out another mammals organs." Ken stated.

"Woah woah! I'm not trying to kill anyone. Or rip out someone's organs. If I wanted to do that, I'd be a doctor like my grandma wanted me to do." Nick stated.

"That's why I wanted to teach you something to prevent that, but still hurt your opponent quite well." Ken said. Ken then got into a pose with his left arm forward and his right arm back. "Pose like me."

"Kay." Nick said as he gets into the same pose as Ken.

"I'm gonna show you a palm strike." Ken said. "Be sure to keep your claws in. A strike with them can be fatal."

"Claws in. Got it." Nick said nodding.

"Keeping your footing and when you're ready to strike..." Ken said before doing thrust with his right arm out. "... be sure to add great force."

"Right." Nick said ready to try. "Keep my footing and..." Nick then thrust with his right arm out. It was almost perfect for a first try.

" _Nīsu!_ (Nice!) Not bad for a first attempt. Add more force to your thrust and you could stun anyone with that." Ken said impressed.

"Awesome." Nick said proudly.

"Okay. Keep those moves in mind as you try to master your own styles to pick up on." Ken said. "With that, that's all I'll teach you."

"That's it?" Judy said surprised.

"Hold on. What about the rest of us?" Finnick asked.

"I only promised to show Nick and Judy one move. Sorry to say, but the rest of you must find your own way." Ken said.

"Weak sauce." Mervin said not too happy about that.

"Wanting to become a police officer is an honorable career choice. I hope my lesson helped you a little." Ken said.

"It did. Thanks, Ken." Nick said smiling.

"Yeah, thanks." Judy said happily.

"It was no problem." Ken said while bowing. "Now, I must take my leave. My family might get concerned about me being gone for so long. That and we have a long journey back home."

"It was nice meeting you, Kenta." Benji said.

"If you do think about becoming an exchange student here, you're more than welcome to stay at my place." Nick said.

"Or mine." Finnick said. "I REALLY want to know how to do those moves."

"Something for next time. Til then, _sayōnara_ (goodbye)." Ken said before bowing.

" _Sayōnara_." The gang all went as they bow down as well.

As Ken walked away, he said one more thing to Nick and Judy.

"By the way, Nick, Judy, you two compliment each other quite well." Ken said with a smile. "I can see why you two are together."

Nick and Judy's faces went red as they hear Ken say that. Everyone else pretty much snickered.

"How did you..." Nick and Judy asked.

"It's obvious." Ken said waving goodbye.

"It is pretty obvious." Benji stated.

"Very obvious." Falisha stated.

"Could have guessed that when we first met you guys." Audran stated.

"Just because we're dating now, doesn't mean we still don't like you guys talking to us like that." Nick said firmly while his face was still red.

"What he said." Judy said agreeing with Nick also red-faced.

The day was still young for the gang. After meeting and talking to Kenta, they decided to walk around the park so more to see if there was anything else to do.

"Kenta was a pretty cool guy." Mervin said.

"Yeah. Coolest fox we've ever met." Darson stated.

"What about me?" Nick asked feeling offended.

"You had a good run, Nicky. That's nothing to be ashamed of." Darson said as he patted Nick on the back.

"I don't need your pity. I got Judy for that." Nick said. He then lowered himself for Judy. "Carrots, comfort your boyfriend."

"Okay." Judy said as she put her paws over Nick's head and lightly cuddles him.

"If we were still 9 and 10, you two would not be like this in front of us." Ronnie stated recalling that Nick and Judy weren't this cozy with company.

"At one point, we just stop caring." Judy stated.

The gang was enjoying their time together, when all of the sudden, they notice a crowd of young mammals. It looked like some kind of commotion was going on. The gang expected to be another fight.

"What's all that? Is there **another** fight going on?" Judy asked.

"Man, what is with fights today?" Finnick said just about having enough of it.

"Today... is... eventful." Flash stated.

"*sigh* Come on. Let's get over there." Nick said not even trying to avoid it.

Not wasting any time, the gang goes over to see what the commotion was all about. They thought it was a fight, but it actually wasn't. It could be called a battle. But it wasn't like a 'fight' battle. In the center of the crowd were a tiger in a black hoodie with the hood up and baggy jeans and a lion with a red hoodie, a grey cap, and black jeans. There was also a boombox.

"What's... going on exactly?" Mervin asked.

"It's a battle. But it's not the 'fight' kind. I think it's a **rap** battle." Finnick stated.

A young teenage colt came to the space between the tiger and the lion. He was sort of the ref for these two.

"Aight, y'all. Here we are at another rap battle." The colt announced to everyone in the area. "On my left in the black hoodie, we got our challenger. He's calling himself 'Young Tiz'." Young Tiz was the tiger. "And on my right in the red hoodie, our raining champion and my homie, T-Blaze." T-Blaze was the lion. "Y'all know the rules. You get one verse and one verse only. So make it count. Also, keep it clean. You two ready?"

"Absolutely. I'm bout to take the king's crown." Young Tiz said with a smirk.

"You can try, but I can assure you I will keep the crown." T-Blaze said confidently.

"So that T-Blaze guy's the champ?" Ronnie asked.

"Seems that way." Audran said to Ronnie.

"Young Tiz, you're first up." The colt said. "Drop the beat."

One of the kids turned on the boombox and a hip-hop beat played. Young Tiz nodded his head as he was ready to start rapping.

 _T-Blaze, man, what a shame,_

 _You're only second rate, while I'm on time of my game._

 _Think you have a chance of winning? Ha, you're insane,_

 _Mr. King-of-the-Jungle, while you barely have a mane._

 _Young Tiz, with the freshness and the style and flow,_

 _You didn't know already, ha, y'all must be slow._

 _I've already one this battle, let me sit on the throne,_

 _Face it, T-Blaze, you'll never be in my zone._

The crowd did some 'Ohhhhh!' from Young Tiz's verse. Even Nick, Judy, and the others seemed impressed by it. T-Blaze didn't seem fazed by it.

"Alright, that was fresh. But let the champ show you how he brings it down." T-Blaze said looking confident.

The lion nodded his head to the beat of the instrumental and said a "Yo!" and an "Uhh!" before saying his verse.

 _Oh Tizzy, you poor little kitty,_

 _You really called that verse, that barely counted as a ditty._

 _I'm T-Blaze, Fire on the track,_

 _Ready to Attack,_

 _Never ever slack,_

 _So you better watch your back, ay._

As T-Blaze went on, Nick, Judy, and the gang nodded their heads, liking T-Blaze's verse.

 _You can never unthrone the king, I bring it down,_

 _Compare to me, you really just a clown._

 _The fire hot lion, I'm ahead of my class,_

 _I got lyrics for days, you only run or gas._

 _See Tiz, this is how it's really done._

 _Me: One, You: None, you already lost, son._

The crowd let out an even louder "Ohhhhh!" for T-Blaze than Young Tiz. With that, it was clear who the winner was.

"I believe we have a winner. Our raining champion, T-Blaze." The colt said happily as he lifted T-Blaze's arm.

Everyone, including the gang, clapped for the reigning champ. Even the challenger didn't see to be upset with losing as he clapped slowly for T-Blaze.

"I'll admit defeat, this time. But I want a rematch soon." Tiz said with a grin.

"I'm counting on it. I'm up for a rematch anytime. It's all good." T-Blaze said smiling and bumping fist with Tiz.

"That ends this week's rap battles! Same time, next week!" The colt shouted out to everyone.

With that said, the whole crowd dispersed. The only ones that stayed there were Nick, Judy, the gang, and T-Blaze. The lion noticed the group and that they were still here.

"I don't think I've ever seen you guys around." T-Blaze said not recalling any of the gangs' faces. "Did some of you came to challenge me too?"

"No no. None of us really have any game." Nick stated with his paws up. "We were just watching."

"Oh. Aight then." T-Blaze said using slang.

"You were awesome back there." Judy said happily. "T-Blaze, right?"

"In the rap circle, I'm the reigning champion for 10 weeks running, T-Blaze." T-Blaze said in a defiant tone. He then went back to having a normal tone. "But most of the time, I'm just Terrence."

"I'm Nick." Nick said introducing himself.

"I'm Judy." Judy said happily.

"Ben." Benji stated.

"Yo. I'm Finnick." Finnick said. Then he thought "How many more times are we gonna do this today?" feeling tired of introducing himself.

"Mervin." Mervin said.

"Call me Ronnie." Ronnie said.

"Audran's the name." Audran said.

"Flash." Flash said.

"I go by Darson." Darson said with a light wave.

The only one who didn't introduce herself was Falisha, who seemed sort of... paused. She did happen to stare at Terrance for a bit and he noticed.

"Yo, stripes? You good?" Terrence asked since Falisha still hasn't introduced herself.

"Oh! So... sorry." Falisha said coming back to reality. "My name's Falisha."

"Falisha, huh? Pretty name for a pretty girl." Terrance said with a smile.

Falisha responded by blushing and giggling. Once she did that, everyone else pretty much picked something up right away.

"She likes him." Everyone else thought each trying not to look surprised.

"So, what brought all of y'all here?" Terrence asked.

"Oh. Well, we originally thought that there was a fight going on and we wanted to break it up." Judy stated.

"We 'kinda' already got involved with two situations so far." Nick stated.

"So you're the kind of kids that prefer to break up fights rather than start them?" Terrence asked. The group responded by nodding. "That's cool. I'm not much of a guy who likes fighting either. The only battles I like are rap battles... and the ones in video games."

"Cool. A few of us are gamers ourselves." Darson said happily.

"So, how did you get the handle, T-Blaze?" Finnick asked wanting to know.

"Well, the 'T' is obviously from the first letter of my name. The 'Blaze' part comes from either how I 'blaze' on tracks or..." Terrence said before taking off his cap revealing a short mane of red and yellow. The colors made it look like flames. "... because of the fire-like dye in my mane."

"Oh ho. A fellow dye head." Mervin said as he pointed at the blue streak in his hair. "Nice."

"So... you've been doing battles for a while?" Falisha asked curiously.

"Yeah. About two years." Terrence answered. "Freestyling's dope cause you have to come up with lyrics right off the bat. But I like writing up lyrics more. Rap is like poetry. You can be more poetic with your lyrics when you have time to think them out."

"I love poetry. Sometimes when I'm feeling down, I read poems to make me feel better." Falisha said with a smile.

"Me too. The best poems are about struggles, conflicts, and life-changing events." Terrence said smiling as well.

"Wow. Seems like we actually have a bit in common." Falisha said starting to blush a bit.

"Really subtle, Fal." Mervin whispered to the tiger with a grin.

"Shut up." Falisha whispered while gritting her teeth.

"You know if you are not too busy, we can chat up some more." Terrence said willing to talk with the gang more. "It's not every day I see a posse like this."

"Sounds good." Falisha said happily. "I... I mean, _we_ would love to hang out with you some more."

"Dial it back, girlfriend." Judy whispered to Falisha.

"Quiet, Judy." Falisha whispered back.

So the gang walks with Terrence for the next couple of minutes as they chatted about themselves. They talked about how they all met each other, became friends, formed a little group, some of the conflicts they had to deal with. They even told him that Nick and Judy were a couple. He found it hard to believe at first, but after hearing the story of their relationship, he understood it and actually liked the idea. It's like they had a certain 'closeness'.

"Yo, you two basically have a storybook relationship. Seriously." Terrence said to Nick and Judy.

"So we have been told." Nick and Judy both said.

"What's your story, dude?" Mervin asked.

"Uhhh... nothing special. I live in Savanna Central, but I go to other parts of the city all the time. I started rapping at 6 after I saw my first rap battle. Too bad 6-year old me sucked." Terrence said honestly. "Got better year after year. I started writing my own songs, even making my own dope beats."

"Dope." Finnick said nodding.

"Any family?" Ronnie asked.

"A mom, a dad, an older brother by 2 years, and a little sister by 5 years." Terrence stated.

"Nice." Nick said with a smile. "I have a brother and sister too. But they're still just babies."

"I just have one little sister and way too many brothers." Mervin stated.

"I have too many brothers and sisters in general." Judy stated having everyone beat on the sibling count.

"I wasn't gonna say anything about the usual 'bunny' stuff, but..." Terrence said.

"I know." Judy admitted looking a bit pouty. It's not my fault my parents were old fashion. Actually, they still are."

"But lesser, thanks to my family." Nick said boasting a bit.

"Haha. You sound like the kind of fox that makes EVERYONE'S life better." Terrence said with a smile.

"I do. Ask these guys." Nick said with a proud grin.

"It's true." Benji said nodding.

"You're not wrong about that." Mervin said.

"He totally does." Falisha stated.

"My life would have been daaaaaark without Nick's help." Darson admitted.

"Wow. It's really nice that y'all are so tight with each other." Terrence said liking the idea.

Terrence, like the other kids Nick, Judy, and the others met today, seem to find it rare and unique that so many different mammals were really close friends.

"So, what do you parents do? Any big jobs?" Falisha asked.

"Ummm... they... don't really have to work." Terrence said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"What do you mean they don't really have to work?" Judy asked curiously.

"Oh no. Don't tell us your family's unemployed. Or worse, broke." Falisha said.

"No no. We are... definitely _not_ broke. In fact, quite the opposite, yo." Terrence stated.

"The... opposite?" Flash said.

Terrence looked conflicted. Like he wanted to tell the gang something but didn't know if he should. Yet, after looking left and right to make sure no one else was around, he decided to tell the group something important about himself.

"Can I count on you guys keeping a secret?" Terrence asked.

"It really depends on the secret..." Nick said. "... but we'll try. What's the secret you wanted to tell us?"

"Okay." Terrence said before taking a deep breathe. "This is a secret that no else knows. Not even the guys in the rap circle. So keep this secret on lock."

"Sounds pretty serious." Finnick said.

"A few years ago, my parents... got into some money." Terrence told the group. "By 'some', I mean a lot."

The gang looked at each other before saying. "A lot?"

"T, are you... are you saying that you are a rich kid?" Finnick asked with widening eyes.

"I'm not gonna say am... but I'm not gonna say I ain't." Terrence said with an awkward smile.

"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!" YOU'RE RICH!?" The gang shouted out in total shock.

"Like I said, my 'rents got into some money." Terrence stated

"What? Did you family won the lottery or something?" Mervin asked sounding serious.

Terrence didn't say anything, but his silence spoke for him.

"Wait? Your family ACTUALLY won the lottery?" Ronnie asked shocked.

"Yeeeeeeah..." Terrence answered. "Pops had a lucky ticket."

"How much? How much did you win?" Finnick asked very curiously.

"Finn!" Nick said thinking that was a bit inconsiderate.

"Like you're not curious." Finnick said knowing they all wanted to know too. He wasn't wrong.

"How much exactly?" Nick asked this time.

"Jude, you said you're from Bunnyburrow, right? What's the population there?" Terrence asked.

"Before I left, around 40 million?" Judy said not sounding too sure.

"Yeah, it's like that... but higher." Terrence said implying that the money his family has is higher than the population of Bunnyburrow.

After hearing that, nearly everyone either twitched, hyperventilated, or cringed. None of them have ever met someone so rich. So it didn't really sit with any of them.

"OM Goo... OM Goo..." Benji uttered not even being able to finish the rest of his saying.

"He's rich. He's REALLY rich. He's really REALLY rich." Falisha thought looking totally shocked.

"He could **literally** buy anything he would ever wanted." Finnick said as his eye twitches.

"Clearly, you're all stunned by this." Terrence said.

"YA THINK?!" Everyone else shouted out.

"See, this is why I don't tell people. They find out I'm rich and then they act completely different around me." Terrence stated.

"Sorry. It was just a bit of a..." Falisha said, but still lack her composure. "It was just a bit of a surprise. You don't... 'seem' like the rich type."

"Cause I'm not. I mean, I wasn't born rich. It just happened." Terrence stated. "One day, I'm in a tiny apartment, sharing a room with my bro and sis, the next, we're in a big two-story mansion with each of us having our own wings, indoor and outdoor pools, a home theater, a personal arcade, and a fully-stocked kitchen with a pizza oven."

"Indoor and outdoor pools?! Ronnie shouted out.

"Home theater?!" Audran shouted out.

"Personal arcade?!" Darson shouted out.

"Pizza oven?!" Benji shouted out.

"Dude, how do your folks feel about friends coming over?" Finnick asked as he leans to the lion.

"Finn!" Nick shouted out firmly.

"As I said, this is why I don't tell people." Terrence stated. "But... while I still act like a regular kid, my family... my family doesn't."

"What do you mean?" Judy asked.

"*sigh* It's true with what they say in the songs. Money changes people." Terrence stated looking sad. "Once we became millionaires, the fam decided we should start 'acting' like millionaires."

"Which kind? The ones that do a bunch of stuff cause they have the money or the snobby, persnickety kind?" Nick asked.

"Snobby and persnickety." Terrence admitted.

"Seriously?" Nick asked a bit surprised.

"Don't get me wrong. My family is still good and I do love them, but... these days, mom and pops at like they were always rich. With the fancy parties and world-class food. My brother's still okay, but my little sis is sort of spoiled." Terrence stated. "Me, I never really WANTED to be rich. I was fine watching VHS videos in the corner with everyone sharing a couch and a bag of microwave popcorn. Is that weird?"

"Actually... no." Finnick said understanding. "Your family was given money out of luck instead of hardwork. Being a bit poor myself, I've always wanted my family to have more money in the back. But I also know the value of money and what it can do to certain people. Just enough money to get by and you're fine. Too much money and you can feel on top of the world."

"You do get it." Terrence said glad that he gets it. "It's always why I keep this part of my life a secret from my parents as well."

"They don't know about your rap battling?" Judy asked.

"Why should they?" Terrence asked with a shrug. He then tugged at his hoodie "You want to know something else? I wasn't wearing these clothes when I left the house. Every time I go out, I switch from a sweater vest to a hoodie or any other pair of clothes that's better."

"So it's one of those _'change in/change out/change back in'_ kind of thing." Darson replied.

"Exactly." Terrence answered.

"Hmm. Quick question, have you ever talked to your parents about how you feel about all of this?" Darson asked.

"What?" Terrence said.

"Answer, man." Darson said with his arms crossed.

"No." Terrence replied as he scratches the back of his head.

"Dude, if you don't tell your parents how you feel, how are they gonna understand?" Darson asked. "Take it from me. I know what it's like to not tell a parent how you feel and regret not doing it sooner."

"If your parents are still as good as you say, then they should hear you out." Falisha stated. "You just need to give it a chance."

"I... don't know, yo." Terrence said still sounding unsure.

"What do you got to lose?" Falisha asked.

"Nothing really. Again, we have a lot of money and my folks spoil us." Terrence stated.

"Dude, you're making it REAL hard not to be jealous." Ronnie stated as he grit his teeth.

"I suppose y'all are right. Real talk, it would be easier than having to change out everyday I go out. For all I know, mom and pops might understand and decide to change their ways too. If lucks on my side." Terrence said.

"If you need luck, just rub Nick and Judy's heads." Ronnie said as he rubs Nick and Judy's heads himself. "They are pretty much the two luckiest people on the planet."

"That's not really true." Judy said modesty

"But it's not untrue." Nick said admitting that the two of them are quite lucky compared to other mammals.

"Bottomline, you will have to talk to your parents about all of this sooner or later. Why not sooner?" Falisha asked. "Just pull the bandage and get it over with. I did the same when it came to talking with my sister."

"Man, did all of y'all have the same problems?" Terrence asked.

"That is why we are all such good friends." Falisha said smiling. "Right, guys?"

"Right!" Everyone said happily.

"Much respect." Terrence said smiling. "Y'know, you all got a point and to be honest, I'm straight up tired of having to bottle up everything. Good for my lyric book, bad for my self-esteem."

"Worst case scenario, you'll come up with an epic rap about bottling anger. Like those epic rock-rap songs from Linkin Bark." Nick said.

"Aw man. I love those guys songs." Terrence said knowing the band. "I got to get their new album when it comes out."

"Didn't know you were a fan." Nick said.

"Who isn't?" Terrence said boldly.

With that, Terrence took the groups words to heart and mind. Maybe it really was time for him to talk to his family. It may not fix everything in a day. But it could help him. A few minutes later, Nick and the others were about to say their goodbyes to Terrence.

"Aight, it's been fun meeting you guys, but I got to roll." Terrence said since it was started to get late.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you." Falisha said happily.

"Oh and Fal?" Terrence said before walking toward Falisha. Falisha slightly started to blush a bit. Terrence then gave Falisha a folded piece of paper. "Don't open it tell I leave."

"Okay?" Falisha said looking confused on what the paper was.

"Anyway, wish me luck." Terrence said. "Matter of fact..." Terrence then walked over to Nick and Judy and rubbed both their head. "In case the good luck things is actually for real."

"First's one free. Next time, it's gonna cost you a pizza party or two hours of arcade time." Nick said with a grin.

"Nick!" Judy said trying hard not to laugh.

"If things work out, then pizza and video games are on me." Terrence said with a smile.

"You might be my new best guy friend." Nick said happily.

"Hey!" Finnick, Benji, Mervin, and Darson all said looking a bit mad and offended. Each of them felt that they were Nick's best guy friend in some way.

"Hey...!" Flash said slowly after everyone else.

"Haha! You guys are a riot, yo." Terrence said laughing. "But seriously, I got to roll. Peace out."

"You too, man." Nick said.

Terrence then high paw everyone and was now on his way back home. The kids waved goodbye as he did. Now that he was gone, one thing came to everyone's mind.

"Falisha, what was that paper that Terrence gave you?" Judy asked.

"Let's find out." Falisha said as she opens the paper up.

Falisha looks at the paper for a few seconds and afterward... her face went red.

"What is it?" Ronnie asked.

"His... phone number." Falisha uttered as she shook a bit with her red face.

"Ooooooooooooohhhhhhhh!" Everyone except Falisha went.

"A boy likes Falisha." Mervin said in a teasing sing matter.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Falisha shouted out all flustered.

"You gonna call him?" Judy asked with a smirk.

"No!" Falisha said firmly. Everyone else raised their eyebrows. "Maybe..." The others still had their eyebrows up. "Why should Nick and Judy be the only ones with someone?!"

After saying that, everyone shrugged cause she had a point. In fact, a few of the boys felt sad for themselves, seeing is that most of them, expect Nick, don't even have girlfriends themselves.

The sun was beginning to set. It was really getting late and everyone to head home.

"Well, today's been interesting. We even met 3 new guys." Nick said to everyone with a smile.

"Got to say, each of them was unique as we are. If not more." Judy stated.

"A ditzy skunk, a fighting kitsune, and a rich rapping lion. Don't get any more unique than that." Benji said.

"Well, I guess it's true with what they said. _To everyone, their own story_." Falisha said. "No matter what we are, we all have different stories."

"Well said." Judy said with a smile.

"One thing for sure, our stories are far from over." Nick stated. "So let's make sure to make our story one of the best."

"Yeah!" Everyone else said with their paws up and eagerly.

"We all better get home, eh?" Audran said.

"Yeah. It's getting late and some of us need to catch some buses." Finnick stated being someone who had to take the best home.

"See ya tomorrow, guys." Mervin said with a smile.

"See ya." Everyone else said.

Everyone headed home for the day. To get ready for another day... and for their own stories to continue on.

 **Annnnnd done. With that, I finally finished a new chapter. With the steam I got, I'm REALLY gonna try to do more chapters of this. I really hate keeping you all waiting.**


	6. A New Pack

**So, what's gonna happen in chapter 6? You remember how one of the main focuses in my story was the kids as Zoo-Burrow Scouts? Well, while they aren't doing the scouts anymore, Nick is still fond of the Junior Ranger Scouts. It shows when he meets up a new scout troop and talks to them. This includes talking to them about what he had to go through. I would say more, but that would spoil the chapter. So let's get to it.**

* * *

In his room was Nick changing into a different set of clothes than his usual one. On his bed, was his baby brother, Todd. As Nick put on his dark green clothes, he hummed. The last two things Nick put on was his red handkerchief and a cap. Nick was now wearing his scout uniform. Well, it was a different one. His old one didn't fit him anymore. So he got a new one that fit him perfectly. Best part, his family didn't have to pay for it. The scout's foundation gave it to him for free. As Nick looked at himself in the mirror, he liked what he saw.

"Nice. Feels like it's been a while since I put on the good ol' uniform." Nick said to himself in the mirror. He then walked over to Todd and picked him up from his bed. "What do you think of your big brother's scout uniform, Toddy?"

"Ohhhhhh..." Todd went in awe.

"Yep. Your brother was quite the scout." Nick said proudly. "One day, I hope you get to put on the uniform and follow your brother's footsteps. Or do your own thing. No pressure."

Nick held Todd as he walked back to the mirror.

"Whatever you decide, know your big brother has your back. Isn't it awesome to have the coolest big brother ever?" Nick asked his baby brother.

"Bubba. Cool cool." Todd said happily.

"You bet I am." Nick said proudly.

Downstairs, there was a knock on the door. Holding her daughter, Vicky, Frankie opened the door to find out it was Judy.

"Hey, Judy." Frankie said greeting the bunny.

"Hello, Mrs. Wilde." Judy said happily. She then looked at Vicky. "Oh, helloooo Vicky."

"Juju!" Vicky said seeming happy to see Judy.

Judy then picked up Vicky from Frankie's arms and smiled at the baby.

"My day always seems to brighten up when I see you or your brother." Judy said as she cuddles the little fox.

Down from the stairs, came Nick and Todd.

"Oh. Speak of the devil. There's the cutie that I adore... and your big brother, Nick." Judy said joking around a bit.

"Carrots, you wound me." Nick said pretending to be hurt by Judy's comment.

"I'll leave you two to talk." Frankie said feeling that she should leave the room. "Nick, be sure to put Toddy and Vicky in their pen."

"Okay, mom." Nick said agreeing to do that.

Frankie then left the room. As she did, Judy waited until now to realize that Nick was wearing a scout uniform.

"Oh. I see that you are back to wearing your scout uniform. What's the special occasion?" Judy asked.

"Just because we stopped doing the Zoo-Burrow Scouts, doesn't mean I still don't do scout stuff every now and then. I've been doing some Junior Ranger Scout stuff on the side." Nick stated.

Around one year ago, the time Judy stopped visiting Zootopia, Nick and Judy disbanded the Zoo-Burrows Scouts. The main reasons were because the group was not only getting old and the uniforms were starting not to fit them. But because things were getting difficult for Judy to keep up with their weekly visits. Even with the group disbanding, the friendship between everyone never went away.

With that said, Nick was still a scout at heart. Nick often visit other troops around the city. As well as talking with the troops and helping out scoutmasters. Nick talks to Judy about this as they put Todd and Vicky down in their playpen.

"I would love to hang out with you more, but I have to meet up and chat with a scout troop today." Nick said to Judy.

"Oh. Which troop?" Judy asked curiously.

"Uhhh..." Nick went before saying what the troop number was. "...Troop 914."

Judy's ears drooped down as she hears that number. Troop 914 was the group that Nick tried to join. As well as the same guys who muzzled him. Or to be more exact, the former group of guys from that troops. The boys, who are now friends with Nick and the others, and their action had nothing to do with this latest troop. But still, Judy felt uneasy.

"But...isn't that the troop that..." Judy said.

"No. That was the old troop and those guys don't exist anymore." Nick said. "The scoutmaster has completely new boys to join now. From what I've been told, they are 6 kids and half of them are prey, while the other half are predators. A pretty balanced group now, wouldn't you say?"

"I suppose." Judy said knowing that Nick has a point.

"Besides, I want to keep an eye on this new troop. Make sure they are doing the right thing." Nick said as he petted Judy's head.

"Alright. Hey! Think it will be okay if I tag along?" Judy asked wanting to come.

"Hmm. I don't see why now." Nick said liking the idea. "Too bad you don't have your old police costume. Oh! But my old uniform should fit you fine enough. You won't have the handkerchief or cap though."

"That's fine." Judy said with a smile.

"Alright. I'll get my old uniform. You can change in my room." Nick said. Nick then realized what he said and felt that asking her to change in his room sounded a bit... pervy. "D... Don't worry. I'll leave the room when you do that."

"Smart choice." Judy said blushing a bit.

A few minutes later, Judy put on Nick's old scout uniform and the two walked to the Junior Ranger Scouts headquarters. As they stood by the stairs, both Nick and Judy started flashing back to the horrid night nearly 4 years ago. But neither of them seemed fazed by that memory. In the end, they only came out stronger. Nick and Judy both climb up the stairs and open the door to go inside. There, they were greeted by the Troop 914's scoutmaster. A moose with long antler by Scoutmaster Antlerson.

"Nick! Glad that you are here." The Scoutmaster says as he shakes Nick's paw.

"It's no problem, sir." Nick said with a smile. "Hope you don't mind if I brought a friend."

"You must be the infamous Judy Hopps." Antlerson said as he looks at Judy. "Pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine." Judy said happily.

"Anyway, Nick, I was hoping that you could help us with a little problem." Antlerson said with a look of concern.

"What's the problem?" Nick asked.

"It's some of the boys. I finally have a new troop mixed with not only prey mammals, but predator mammals as well. They are all good boys, but..." Antlerson said.

"Let me guess. They've all divided themselves into two groups. A prey group and a predator group." Nick said taking a wild guess.

"Sad thing is, you're right." Antlerson admitted. "Especially when it comes to these two boys, Ryan and Quinzy."

"So you basically want Nick to talk some sense into them before it becomes a problem." Judy said the scoutmaster.

"That's the plan." Antlerson said.

"Heh. Leave it to me, sir." Nick said confidently while saluting.

After that was said, Nick, Judy, and Scoutmaster Antlerson went down the stairs to where the meetings were usually taken place. One minute in and they could already tell that things were more south than they thought. As Scoutmaster Antlerson said, the troops were divided. One side prey, other side predators. On the prey side was a beaver, a hedgehog, and a rabbit with black fur and a white circle on his left eye. On the predator side was an otter, a wolverine, and a fox with black fur and white over his muzzle. They were all around the ages of 8 and 9 and the fox and rabbit looked like the leaders of both sides.

"Predators like you shouldn't be in the scouts." The rabbit said angrily at the fox.

"I should say the same about ignorant prey like you." The fox said angrily at the rabbit.

The rabbit and fox glared at each other with anger. Nick and Judy could sense some tension from these boys.

"I'm assuming those two must be Ryan and Quinzy." Nick said taking another guess.

"You guessed right." Antlerson said. "The young tod is Quinzy, while the little buck is Ryan. Quinzy's a smart and bold kid and Ryan is a caring and determined. The two of them often go to each other and bring the others with them."

"They sound like us." Judy stated after hearing their description.

"Cept when we argued, it wasn't like this." Nick stated.

"BOYS, ENOUGH!" Antlerson shouted out loudly.

"The shout stopped everyone in their tracks and they quickly straightened up.

"YES, SIR! SORRY, SIR!" The boys all said while standing straight.

"Now if you boys are done, we have guests." Antlerson said. "I would like you all to meet Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps. These two were the leaders of groups of scouts that was connected to ours. The Zoo-Burrow Scouts."

"What's up, guys?" Nick said greeting the boys.

"Hello." Judy said waving happily.

"One of them is a fox." Ryan said clearly not liking foxes.

"One of them is a bunny... and a _girl_. Girls can't be Junior Scouts." Quinzy said sounding fickle.

"Well, we're off to a great start..." Nick and Judy both thought.

"Yes, he's a fox and I'm a girl bunny. But even so, a few years ago, Nick and I formed a group of our own." Judy said proudly.

"Yep. We had many members, helped out our community and each other, we were even able to become an _official_ troop." Nick said looking as proud as Judy.

"Woah! That's amazing." The beaver said in awe.

"Pssh! Likely story." Ryan said not buying Nick's words. "

"Oh don't believe me? Lucky for me, I have more than enough proof." Nick said. He then pointed at a patch on the left side of his shirt. It was oval-shaped with a fleur-de-lis symbol. "This is the Junior Ranger Scouts patch of Pride and Valor. One of the biggest honors for a scout to have."

"Woooooooah!" All the boys went.

"Annnnnnd... if you don't believe that..." Nick said as he dug in his pocket and took out a photo. The picture was of a young 10-year old him shaking paws with a bear in his 60s. The bear was Sanford B. Ursidae, President of the Ranger Scouts. Nick looked super nervous as he shook the president's paw. "Here's me with the president of the Ranger Scouts."

"WOOOOOAAAAHHHHH!" The boys said even more amazed.

"Wow! That's awesome." The wolverine said.

"You must be the coolest fox scout ever." Quinzy said admiring Nick.

"Don't want to brag, but... oh who am I kidding. I love bragging." Nick said with his usual boasting matter.

"Point is... Nick worked hard to get to where he is." Judy said while patting Nick on the back.

"See? Foxes can be good scouts." Quinzy said to Ryan.

"Okay. So maybe 'he's' legit. But that doesn't mean you are." Ryan said glaring at Quinzy.

"I'm a better scout then you are, you tiny pain in the neck." Quinzy said angrily at Ryan.

The two then quickly began to arguing again. Scoutmaster Antlerson wasn't kidding about how these two were. It was like their rival instincts were in overdrive. This really worried Nick and Judy.

"Man, these two really don't like each other." Judy whispered to Nick.

"Alright. Quinzy and Ryan, right? What's the deal with you two?" Nick asked. "And don't give us the usual 'Fox vs Rabbit' excuse."

The young fox and rabbit stopped arguing to tell Nick and Judy their story. Ryan was first to talk.

"This troop started a few weeks ago with a few of us. Things were going great... until Quinzy showed up two weeks ago." Ryan said.

"I actually tried to be the nice guy. But Ryan here always gave me the stink. He could deal with the fact that a fox could be trusted." Quinzy stated.

"Been there." Nick thought.

"He even tried getting some of the others to be against me. It didn't work cause of us are predators anyway." Quinzy stated.

"Quinzy had it out for me since day one. Always insulting me. Belittling me. He's a total jerk." Ryan stated.

"Takes one to know one." Quinzy said as he started growling at Ryan.

Soon after, the two got all riled again. This time, the other boys started to get riled up too. Once again, Antlerson shouted out.

"QUIET DOWN!" Antlerson shouted out.

"SORRY, SIR!" The boys all went.

Nick and Judy were really starting to worry.

"Nick, this is bad." Judy said a bit scared for the kids.

"I know. Too much heat is between the boys. If this continues, it could lead to... that." Nick said to Judy.

Nick started to recall the night he got muzzled. Not only that, the nightmares, the hatred, even when Chuck and the others were blackballed.

"No. Not again. I won't let something like that happen to anyone else." Nick said boldly. Nick then walked over to Antlerson. "Scoutmaster Antlerson, do you mind leaving the room for a bit and letting me talk to these boys?"

"Alright. I trust that you can handle it." Antlerson said.

"Leave it to me." Nick said boldly saluting.

The scoutmaster left the room leaving Nick and Judy alone with the kids.

"Carrots, you leave too." Nick said to Judy.

"Alright. But I'll be listening in." Judy said as she wiggled her ears a bit.

Judy then made her way up the stairs and left the room. She still stayed close by the stairs to listen in.

"Okay, boys. Everyone gather around and sit down." Nick said as get down on the floor. "Nicky's got a story for you all."

"Ugh! This isn't one of those 'life lesson' stories, isn't it?" Quinzy asked.

"Cause if you think THAT will change our minds about each other, it won't." Ryan said firmly.

"How about you all just listen?" Nick asked looking a bit angry. Seeing that, the boys decided to be quiet and sat down as Nick told them to.

"What is the story you want to tell us?" The hedgehog asked.

"It's a big one. It's about prey and predator kids just like you." Nick said.

Nick wasn't just going to tell them any random story. He was going to tell them 'his' story. The story about how he wanted to be a junior ranger scout and the fate of Chuck and the others. But Nick didn't want to just say the story was about him. The boys started to image the story as shadow puppetry.

"Once, there was a young boy. He was kind, brave, and honest. He had a loving mom and dad and... a very good friend." Nick said. "The boy was a predator while the friend he had was prey. They were on two different sides of species, yet they were close. Very close. They got along almost instantly."

"So they got along even when they were a prey and predator?" Ryan asked.

"Of course. That's what evolution's all about. No matter what, any mammal can get along with one another." Nick stated. "Now, there was one thing that the boy really wanted more than anything. He wanted to be a Junior Ranger Scout. His mother was able to pinch enough pennies to buy the uniform for him. He was going to be the only predator there. But that didn't bother him cause he wanted to finally be part of a pack."

"He was the only predator?" The wolverine asked.

"Yes... and because of that, the group of Junior Ranger Scout, they didn't trust him. So they not only regretted them, they did something much worse. They put a muzzle on him." Nick told them.

"WHAT?" The boys shouted out hearing that.

"Yep. They got a muzzle and forcefully put it on the boy. Even when he did nothing wrong." Nick said.

"That's... that's horrible!" Quinzy said.

"The boy felt sad, miserable, unwanted. He was in a dark place and it was like he wanted to give up on the world." Nick said sadly. "But then... someone brought him back to the light. It was his friend. The prey girl who believed in the boy. The boy told her what happened and quickly went over to talk some sense to the scouts. But the boys were too firm with their decision and didn't care what the girl had to say. She went back to her friend and tried to convince him not to give up on life. But the boy's hopes were still dripping away. Then, the girl put their friendship on the line. If the boy didn't choose to not give up, then he and the bunny wouldn't be friends anymore. The boy didn't want that. It hurt him too much. Their friendship was too strong to break."

"But... the girl was a prey. How could she trust someone who was a predator and use to eat her kind?" Ryan asked.

"The girl just did. She trusted the boy more than anyone else and the boy felt the same about her." Nick answered. "Now, the boy and girl couldn't let the scouts get away with want they did. So, they came up with a plan. A week later, they encountered the boys again. They wanted to get them to admit what they did was wrong. Of course, the boys were still stubborn to admit it. Stubborn... but not clever like them. The two had a recorder on them and were able to get audio of what the boys said. The two now had the upper paw."

"So they tricked them?" Quinzy asked.

"The proper term is 'hustled', but yes." Nick replied. "The boys weren't too happy about that. They tried to use force to take the pen away from the girl. It was a bad choice for them. Cause at the moment they hurt her, The boy changed."

"What do you mean by change?" Ryan asked.

"The boy had grit his teeth and got on all fours. He became primal." Nick stated.

"Primal? You mean like... mammals in the old days?" Ryan asked.

"Yes. But even in his primal and savage state, he wouldn't hurt his friend. The other boys, however, he didn't care for them much." Nick said. "As he has them all cornered, he prepares to pounce."

"Did he attack them?! Then he went savage on them?!" The otter asked sounding scared.

"That's the thing. He didn't. It was all a trick. A hustle within a hustle." Nick said. "He and his friend planned everything from the very beginning."

"Woah! Really?" Quinzy said surprised.

"It's impossible for predators to turn savage again cause of 'biology'. But the scout boys were able to get fooled by that." Nick stated. "After talking to them more, they boys finally understood and even apologized. They were even willing to let the boy joined for real this time. But the scouts regretted him, he regretted the scouts."

"He turned them down?" Ryan asked.

"Would you like to be with the group that just muzzled you?" Nick asked. "Those guys weren't the boy's fit. It also turned out that he wasn't their only victim. After figuring that out, he ripped off part of the pack number from his shirt, deleted the recording he had of them, grabbed his friends paw, and got out of there."

"He deleted the recording? Why? Shouldn't he had kept it?" Quinzy asked.

"He didn't need the recording. They were all dirty enough." Nick said seriously. "After that, the boy and his friend formed a pack of their own, while the group of scouts had started to gain a lot of grief. Overwhelming guilt."

"Good, but they deserve much worst." Quinzy said firmly.

"Yeah." The otter and wolverine said agreeing with Quinzy.

"If I told you they actually had to go through worst, would you believe me?" Nick asked.

"Huh?" Quinzy went.

"While the boy and the girl formed their own pack, the five scouts were going were all going through a guilt spell. After realizing how wrong their actions were, it was like the guilt was shallowing them whole. Eventually, they came clear to their scoutmaster. He was very disappointed with boys. Not only did they call their parents about this, but each of them of kicked out from the troop. They were scout no more." Nick said.'

"They... lost their rights to be scouts." Ryan said sadly.

"Scouts are supposed to be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy. They broke all those with their actions." Nick stated. "Later, they go to the boy and the girl as well as some of the other members of their pack and sincerely asked for their forgiveness. They accepted their apology but didn't forgive them for what they did. They would have to work for that."

"Did they even really forgive them want they did?" Quinzy asked.

"We'll get to that later." Nick said. "Now, the boy, the girl, and their pack lived their lives to the best they could. The former scouts, however, things only got worst for them."

"What happened?" Ryan asked.

"Eventually, the recoil of their actions started to kick in. Their parents started disowning them, their other friends left them, predator AND prey kids started to hate them. They were being treated like total criminals." Nick stated. "But the real kicker for them was a certain day."

"A... certain day?" Quinzy said.

"One of the boy's pack member, a predator boy that was also muzzled by them, had some _choice_ words for the group. Turned out, he may have had harbored his angry feelings longer than the other boy. He told them if he had things his ways, they five boys would be locked up in a juvie cell for their actions. This broke the boys and they ran off. They didn't just plan to leave, they planned to run away entirely." Nick said.

"They ran away?" Ryan asked sounding really concerned. "They did actually run away from their homes? Did the guilt cause them to leave the city?"

"Well, after hearing that the boys ran away, it was the boy's pack that started to feel guilty. They all agreed to quickly look for them and find out where they could be." Nick told them. "After a while of searching, they found them near the front of the Scout HQ. The boy went over to speak with them. They told him everything that they had to go through. All the things the boys didn't even know. As much as he hated what they did to him, he wouldn't wish that on anyone. So, he did one of the hardest things he could ever do."

"What was that?" Quinzy asked.

"He forgave them." Nick told them.

"WHAT?!" The boys all shouted out surprised.

"He forgave them even after everything they did?!" Quinzy asked still shocked.

"He believed that the boys had gone through enough and he could tell that they regret their actions. The other kids in his pack also forgave them and eventually, they all became a part of their pack and became friends." Nick said.

"So they all just became friends. Just like that." Ryan said.

"Yup. The 5 former scouts now became scouts of a new pack. They could finally start being happy again." Nick said to them in a happy tone. But he then switches to a sadder tone. "But even so..."

"Even so..." Ryan and Quinzy both said.

"... things didn't change that much for the boys." Nick told them. "They were still hated by many other kids. Even bullies were considered saints compared to them. The five boys realized that there was only one thing they could do. It was _owning up to their actions._ "

"How... did they own up to their actions?" Quinzy asked.

"Did they... did they turned themselves into the authorities?" Ryan asked.

"They did." Nick replied. "They felt it was the only way to make up for everything. Giving themselves up not only meant that they had to go to juvie, but they would all gain a criminal record. Things would only get harder for them after that. But it didn't matter to them. They were all will to accept their fates."

"What happened after that?" Quinzy asked.

"After saying goodbye to their friends, they had to spend their Summer in juvie. Even after that, they were officially kicked out from their school. They had to go to a boarding away from the city." Nick stated.

"They had to leave?" Ryan asked.

"As sad as it was, it was ultimately their choice. They wanted to become better people." Nick stated. "They will miss the friends they had, but they all hope that one day they would meet them again."

The image of shadow puppetry that the boys had started to fade.

"That's the end of the story." Nick said finished with the story. The boys all became silent after hearing that. "Do you understand why I told you this story? The kids made choices they regret and had to do a lot to make up for them. They are even still working for it to this day. Do any of you want to go through what they had to deal with?"

All the boys were still silent. Their silence pretty much answered Nick's question for him.

"There should be no reason prey or predator can get along. We are all evolved. We also live in the greatest city in the world, Zootopia. The city where anyone can be anything. The city where prey and predators can live together in harmony." Nick said with a smile. "If we don't choose to believe that, then are we really evolved?" Nick then looked at both Ryan and Quinzy. "Ryan, Quinzy, and all of you other boys don't make the same mistake as those boys in my story did. Learn from them and grow."

After that, Ryan and Quinzy both stood up from the ground and looked at each other with sincerely.

"Quinzy, I'm sorry for calling you out cause you're a fox." Ryan said apologetically.

"I'm sorry too. I may have said one or two things that were too far." Quinzy said apologetically as well.

"So, are we good?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah." Quinzy said nodding.

The two then shook each other's paw as a sign of their new friendship. It also seemed like the other boys shook paws with each other as well. This said that the prey-predator feud between the kids was over. Nick was relieved by this.

"Problem solved and crisis averted." Nick thought to smile.

"One question, Nick." Quinzy asked. "That predator boy in the story was that... you?"

"And the prey girl was that... that Judy girl?" Ryan asked.

Nick didn't seem surprised that they figured it out. In fact, he actually smiled.

"In the end, everything that happened to me made me stronger. That's the sore reason I'm here now. Don't let your species define who you are. Be the person **you** want to be." Nick said smiling.

"Woooooooaaaaahh!" All the boys went. Now each of them admired Nick even more. The boys the grouped up closer to Nick.

"Nick, you have got to be the best scout ever!" Quinzy said with eyes of admiration.

"Can you teach us how to be like you?" The otter asked wanting to be like Nick.

"Tell us more stories." Ryan said wanting to hear more.

"Easy! Easy! One at a time." Nick said feeling overwhelmed. "I'll tell you what you need to know. Just give me some space."

The troop was really warming up to Nick now. As Judy watched and listened, she couldn't help but be happy. She thought Nick was amazing before. Now her feelings have multiplied.

About an hour later, the meeting ending and the boys all left outside of the building and headed to their homes. They all said goodbye to Nick, Judy, and Scoutmaster Antlerson.

"Bye, Nick! Bye, Judy!" Ryan said waving goodbye.

"Come back and talk to us soon!" Quinzy said waving goodbye as well.

"Stay good, boy!" Nick said.

"Remember, same time next week!" Antlerson shouted out. As they left, he turned and looked down on Nick. "Thank you, Nick."

"You're welcome, sir." Nick said with a smile.

"You definitely would have been an ideal scout for our troopAntlerson said thinking if things were different, Nick would have been great for the pack.

"I'm fine on what happened. But that doesn't mean, I won't look of for your troop. Just call me whenever you need me." Nick said.

"Will do. You're always welcome." Antlerson said before shaking Nick's paw. Antlerson then went to Judy. "That goes for you too, Judy."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, sir." Judy said bowing.

With that, Nick and Judy then took their leave. As they made their way back home, Judy talked with Nick.

"You did a good thing today, Nick. Telling those boys that story." Judy said.

"I didn't want things to end up the same way it did for me. No one should have to go through that." Nick said boldly. "Ryan and Quinzy, I hope those two become friends now."

"I'm hoping best friends." Judy said happily and confidently.

"Whatever happens, their choices are up to them." Nick said.

"Yeah." Judy said agreeing with Nick.

Judy then looks at Nick. It was his boldness, kindness, and honest nature that made her fall for him. As she smiles, she then tugged at Nick's arm.

"Nick, do you mind leaning down for a minute?" Judy asked.

Nick was familiar with what Judy just said. Last time she said those words, she kissed him on the cheek. Was she about to do that again?

"Ummm... sure." Nick said as he leaned down a bit.

Judy then kissed Nick on the cheeks again. Just like four years ago. This time, it didn't catch Nick that much off-guard. After the two seconds passed, Judy ended her kiss.

"Was that to make me feel better?" Nick asked with a smirk.

"No. I'm sure you know the real reason." Judy said with a smile.

Nick then held Judy's paw. He was really thankful to have her in his life. Later that evening, Nick sat down by his desk with a pen and paper. He then started writing a letter.

A few days passed. Over at East Canyonland was the military school, Ridge Might Academy. Considered one of the toughest military schools in the country. A school where the kids have to attend classes all year round. Also, the current location of five certain boys. Checking his mailbox, was Chuck Woodson. Slightly older and more mature than when he was a kid. He was going through his envelops when his attention came to one letter as he looked at the address with a smile. He then quickly dashed to his friends. Phillip Zecker, Darwin Deerling, Wilfred Maus, and Edward Beestli were all relaxing the school's rec room. Chuck then opened the door.

"GUYS! WE GOT A LETTER FROM NICK!" Chuck shouted out excitedly.

"Nick? It's been a while since he wrote us back." Phillip said.

"Well, open it up, Chuck." Wilfred said.

Chuck didn't waste any time and opened up the letter and read it out loud. It read:

 _Dear Chuck,_

 _Don't read this letter unless everyone else is with you. Got it?_

 _Hey, guys! Sorry I haven't written to you in a while. I'm assuming you guys still don't have e-mail addresses being in military school and all. I hope things are still good for you. Things are going well for us here in Zootopia. Everyone else still misses you guys and wishes you all well. A little while ago, I met up with the new Troop 914. Half of them were prey and half of them were predators. There was a bit of some tension between the kids. Including two boys. A fox boy named Quinzy and a rabbit boy named Ryan. They were sooooo not like Judy and I. To help them get along, I told them our story. I told them about our struggle and what we both had to deal with. It helped them patch things up almost instantly. Now the boys are all friends. Both prey and predators. I don't want anyone else to go through what we've been through. So you guys stay strong and I'll do the same. Miss you, guys. I'll write to you again, buds._

 _Your pal,_

 _Nick Wilde_

"Nick, still got to be amazing, doesn't he?" Chuck asked with a smile.

"That's Nick for ya." Ed said happily.

"Wait? There one more thing Nick mentioned in his letter." Chuck said as he looks down to see the PS. As he reads, his eyes widened in total shock with what he reads. "WHAT?!"

"What's wrong?" Darwin asked.

"Apparently, Judy's staying at Zootopia for the Summer... and she and Nick are dating!"

The other boys looked at each other before shouting out "IT'S ABOUT TIME!".

 **That's it for this chapter. Man, fastest update ever. Seriously, I bet some of you are like "OMG, he updated already. It hasn't even been a week yet." Hopefully, I can keep it up. Don't want to be in a slump again.** **Til the next chapter.**


	7. Moon Lotus

**Alright. Here's chapter 7 of our story. While Nick and Judy are the main characters in the story, I like to have chapters where my other characters get to be the mainer. For this one, it's all about Darson. I was inspired by an episode of Steven Universe for this one. Darson's birthday is coming up. But that also means the anniversary of his mom's death is coming up too. So that means that Darson is gonna have a hard time with things. Maybe his friends could help comfort him. Let's find out. Also, this may or may not be a tearjeaker. Sorry in advance.**

* * *

There was nothing but blue skies and clouds. Sitting in the clouds were two coyotes. One of them was Darson, while the other was a female with light grey fur. She had on a beautiful white dress with yellow flowers on it, and a white flower over her left ear. This woman was Darson's mother, Videl. Since his mother had been dead for years, this was clearly a dream. A dream that Darson often has. He would sit with his mother and talk about things.

"Mom?" Darson said wanting to ask Videl something.

"Yes, my Moon Lotus?" Videl asked.

"Ha. Every dream I have, you call me that. But it's not like I've actually ever heard you call me that." Darson stated.

"I can call you whatever you want me to. This is your dream after all." Videl said to her. "But I feel that you're not here to talk about that."

"You're right. It's... coming up." Darson said trying to smile. "Dad still misses you dearly."

"Do you miss me?" Videl asked.

"Can't really miss who you don't know." Darson stated. "I mean, you died the same day I was born. I only know what you look like because of dad's pictures. I don't even know if this is how you really sound. I wish... I wish I got to really see you."

Videl then walks over to Darson and hugs him. Darson smiled a bit.

"This... feels nice." Darson said to his mom. "I just wish it was really happening."

"Darson, my dear, it's time to wake up." Videl said.

"I know." Darson said as he closed his eyes.

Darson then started to hear the sound of an alarm clock. Next thing he knew, he woke up in his room, still in his beds. Annoyed by the alarm noises, Darson hit the snooze button. The clock said 6:30. A bit early for a kid to wake up on a Summer day. But Darson had a reason to woke up.

The young coyote got out of his bed, switch his alarm clock to off, and looked around his room. It was a pretty nice room. Basic, but not too basic. A few rock posters, some model cars, 3 dreamcatchers that hung by the back wall of his bed, a small TV with a game system, a desk, and a drawer with some photos on top of it. Darson walked up to the photos and looked at each of them. The first was a picture of Darson's mom, Videl, holding Darson as a baby.

"The only picture of mom and I before she died." Darson said to himself as he picks up the picture frame. "Dad always said how beautiful she was. He was right. I just wished she lived long enough to see how I turned out. Excluding the bad stuff."

Darson puts down the frame and then picks up the next one. It was a picture of him around the age of 5 over his dad's shoulders with cotton candy in one paw.

"This was pop and me when he took me to the fair. He always showed me love even when it was only him." Darson said to himself with a light smile. "Can't believe I've ever thought that he hated me."

As he puts the frame down, he then picked up one more picture frame. This one was a widespread picture of him with Nick, Judy, and the other kids from both Zootopia and Bunnyburrow. They were all still little kids and wearing their scout uniforms.

"We took this on my first day in the Zoo-Burrow Scouts. Nick must have asked me a hundred times. He wouldn't take no for an answer. Really glad he didn't." Darson said to himself. He then puts the frame down. "Alright. Enough reminiscing. Time to get change."

Darson changed out of his sleep clothes and changed into a black sleeveless workout shirt and blue and white workout shorts. After doing some morning routines, he then made his way out to the living room. There, his dad, Bruce Coynac, was already up. He was reading the newspaper while drinking a cup of coffee.

"Morning, pops." Darson said greeting his dad.

"You're up early, son. I expected you to still be sleeping in." Bruce stated.

"You know at this time I usually do my morning run with Nick and Ben." Darson said. "But I'm surprised that you're up."

"I'm a repairman. If someone needs me to repair something, I need to be up and ready." Bruce said boldly.

Bruce's job was being a repairman. ACs, fridges, washers, dryers, or anything else. Bruce was quite the handyman. In some ways, he was actually a lot like John. Made an honest living, loved fixing things up, and help make people happy with his work.

"Just because you're a handyman, doesn't mean you always need to be up at the crack of dawn." Darson stated.

"I was never much of a big sleeper to begin with." Bruce said. "Do you need some breakfast?"

"I'm good. We're probably gonna get some grub afterwards." Darson said.

"Alright then. Tell Nick I said hello. He's a good boy. You're very lucky to have him as a best friend." Bruce said with a smile.

"Woah woah woah!" Bruce uttered a little frantic. "I wouldn't say Nick's my **best** friend. It's more like Nick is **everyone's** best friend. Finnick, Ben, Mervin, Flash, and especially Judy."

"But don't you consider him to be your best friend?"Bruce asked.

"It's... complicated. You know, since we kinda hated each other when we were kids." Darson stated. "Not that's the case anymore. I just happen to own him a lot. Judy too."

It was because of Nick that Darson stopped being a bully and decided to change his life around. If things were different, he most likely would still be a troubled kid.

"Well, I'm glad things went the way they did." Bruce said happy how his son turned out.

"Yeah." Darson said nodding. "I need to go now. Don't want to keep Nick waiting."

"Okay. Love you, son." Bruce said.

"I know, pop." Darson said to his dad.

As Darson was getting ready to leave the house...

"HOLD IT!" Bruce shouted out.

"Yeah?" Darson asked looking back at his dad.

"Say it back." Bruce said firmly.

"Seriously? Again?" Darson said looking embarrassed.

"Say it back." Bruce said.

"I don't think I need to." Darson said not wanting to say it.

"It's just four words." Bruce said.

"I say it almost every other day." Darson stated.

"Dad, I love you." Bruce said wanting Darson to say those words.

"Nick's waiting." Darson stated firmly.

"Dad, I love you." Bruce said again.

"Do you really need me to say now? Do you? Really?" Darson asked.

"Either that or I'll follow you and say it to everyone you pass." Bruce asked with a smirk.

Admitting defeat, Darson just got it over with. "*sigh* Dad... I love you."

"Good boy." Bruce said with a smile. "Now how about a kiss?"

"Nope. Gotta go." Darson said as he opens the door and leaves the house.

"Hahaha." Bruce laughed as he looked back at his newspaper.

Darson made his way down the street and to the park. Once every other week, Darson and Nick would workout by doing some morning jogging and stretches. Today was one of those days. After a few minutes, Darson made it to the park. Already there was Nick, Benji, and even Judy was there. They were each in workout clothes as well.

Nick was wearing a green sleeveless shirt, blue shorts, and black aviator sunglasses. Benji was wearing a dark blue shirt and yellow shorts with black spots on it. Judy wearing a blue tank top with black sweatpants.

"Yo, Darson! You're late." Nick shouted out as he waved to the coyote.

Darson then runs to the three.

"Sorry about that." Darson said apologizing. His attention then went to Judy. "I was expected Ben to show up this time, but I didn't expect you, Jude."

"Morning, Darson." Judy said in her usual cheery matter. "Nick told me about you jogging in some mornings and I wanted to join you."

"Hope you don't mind." Nick said to Darson as he lifted up his sunglasses.

"I don't. It's fine if you want to bring in your girlfriend to workout with us." Darson said okay with Judy being here.

"Still... getting used to that handle." Judy said lightly blushing.

"Okay. Let's start with some stretches." Darson said.

The four started their workout by doing some side stretches. 5 to the left and 5 to the right.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5..." The four said before switching to their right. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5..."

They continued this while they talked.

"So Judy, Nick told you while we started working out on certain mornings, right?" Ben asked.

"To get a headstart for the ZPD academy." Judy answered. "Smart idea. We need to start limbering up so we can handle the training there when we get older."

"Have you been working out lately, Carrots?" Nick asked Judy.

"Not... exactly." Judy admitted. "Not saying that I haven't done any kind of gymnastics. Cause I started doing that last year."

The four then switched into doing some leg stretches.

"Good to know." Nick said happily. "At least you're not getting lazy. Can't say the same for Ben here."

"Heeeeey. I started working out just like you guys." Ben said firmly.

"Yeah. 3 weeks ago." Nick stated.

"That's... not the point." Benji said as he stopped stretching. "Don't forget, I want to join the ZPD just like you two. So don't leave me out."

"That's the spirit, Ben." Darson said impressed by Benji's determination.

Everyone then stopped with their stretching.

"Alright, let's run some laps." Darson said. "4 laps around the park."

"The WHOLE park?!" Benji asked a bit concerned.

"Don't back down now, Benji." Judy said.

"Alright." Benji said getting ready.

"Let's make it a race. First one to run the laps, breakfast is on the others." Nick said.

"Okay. You're on." Darson said willing to race. "But you will lose... again."

"Guessing you two raced before." Judy said taking a wild guess.

"He never beat me in a race before." Darson said smugly.

"Wipe that smug off your face!" Nick said angrily. "I'm gonna beat you this time."

"That is... if I don't beat you two." Judy said looking confident.

"Hey! Don't leave me out of this. I'm still a cheetah after all." Benji said proudly.

The four then got into racing positions.

"Here's the rules. Keep it fair and no running on all fours. Only be on twos." Darson said.

"Got it." Nick, Judy, and Benji said nodding.

"Ready... set... GO!" They all shouted out before running.

And they were off. The four kids quickly ran to see who was faster... and the winner would get breakfast on the others.

After 4 laps around the park, Darson was the winner. With Nick at second place by 5 seconds. Judy was 4 seconds behind Nick. Judy and Nick both looked out of breath while Darson still seemed fine.

"Looks like I win, dudes." Darson said proudly.

"No... *huff* fair..." Nick uttered trying to catch his breath.

"How... *huff* did you... *huff* beat us?" Judy asked trying to catch her breath like Nick.

"I've been running for a long time. Even before I met you dorks." Darson stated. "When I was still going through some stuff, I ran to help clear my head. It worked... sometimes."

"So that's why you always seem so used to running." Nick stated.

"Better than you guys. Especially the so-called cheetah." Darson said.

"Hey! Where IS Ben?" Judy asked.

Nick, Judy, and Darson looked for Ben and it was obviously clear that they couldn't keep up with the others.

"Ehh. Give him a minute." Nick said.

"Compared to you two, I wonder if Ben can even make it to the ZPD Academy." Darson said as he scratched the back of his head.

"He'll make it." Judy said boldly. "He wants it just as bad as we do."

At that moment, Ben finally came over... slowly. Like, 'sloth' slowly. He was also panting heavily. After getting close to the others, he then laid flat on his back beyond exhausted.

"*huff* *huff* OXYGEN!" Benji shouted out with whatever breathe he had left.

Nick, Judy, and Darson didn't seem surprised that this happened. Benji was never really the athletic type.

"So...who wants breakfast?" Darson asked.

Nick and Judy both raised their paws. Benji, still drained, slowly raised his paws while he was still on the ground.

"Yes... please." Benji said still panting.

After helping Benji get up, the four head over to a diner for breakfast. Darson told the gang he was fine paying for his own meal. He really only wanted the bragging rights. As the four sat on in a table, they looked at their menus to decide what they wanted. A beaver waitress came over to the kids.

"What can I get you kids?" The waitress asked.

After looking through the menu, something got both Nick and Darson's attention. A menu item with the word 'blueberries'.

"Oooooh! The Triple-Stack Blueberry Pancakes sounds good." Both Nick and Darson said at the same time.

"The blueberry twins strike again." Judy said after giggling. "I'll have the Strawberry Wheat Waffles. Don't skimp on the strawberries."

"And I'll have the Chocolate French Toast. Oh! And a side of hashbrown." Benji said.

"Ooh! I didn't see the hashbrowns." Nick said looking back at the menu. "They're like french fries for breakfast. I'll have a side of hashbrowns too."

"Add hashbrowns with my order too." Judy said wanting some as well.

"Make that hashbrowns all around." Darson said also wanting hashbrowns as he and the others gave the waitress their menus.

"Okay. Anything to drink?" The waitress asked.

"Orange juice will be fine." Darson said thinking everyone will be fine with some orange juice.

"Okay. That's 2 Blueberry Triples, Strawberry Waffles Wheat, French Toast Chocolate, Hashbrowns all around, and OJ all around. Coming right up, hons."

As the waitress goes to get their orders, the four now waited for their food.

"Should we REALLY be getting such a hearty breakfast after working out?" Judy asked.

"It's called carbo-loading, Carrots. We need the carbs to get our strength up." Nick stated. "Also, pancakes, waffles, and french toast of the pillars of most breakfast foods."

"To you, anything with blueberries is a pillar food." Judy said with a smirk.

"Says the bunny who often has carrots 80 percent of the time." Nick said with a sly grin.

"Fair point." Judy admitted.

"You know, while it seems that bunnies always like carrots, the whole 'bunnies liking carrots thing' is actually discredited." Benji stated.

"Seriously?" Nick said sounding surprised.

"It's another stereotype thing. Most bunnies just went with it and thought it was okay." Benji said.

"Haha! Have we bunnies been living a lie then?" Judy asked still smiling.

"Maybe. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time, right?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. Otherwise, she would be running for the hills right now at the sight of us." Darson said with a smirk.

"Not cool, man." Nick said as he bumps Darson with his shoulder.

"I kid. I kid." Darson said telling Nick he was just joking.

"This is nice. Think we should have invited the others?" Judy asked thinking the rest of the gang should have joined them.

"Ehhh. They prefer to sleep in." Darson stated. "Not that sleeping in is bad."

"I don't really sleep in. Curse of being a part of a family of farmers." Judy stated. "Gwen and I have only started sleeping in recently."

"Perk of it only being the two of you." Nick said.

For some reason, those words affected Darson a bit. Since it was only him and his dad, he too knows what it's like to only have two people.

"Perk of it only being the two of you, huh?" Darson thought.

Eventually, their food came in and each of them started to dig in. The four enjoyed eating their breakfast. At one point, Nick and Judy gave each other a bite of their own food as couples would do. Ben thought it was cute while Darson felt a little uncomfortable. He was fine with Nick and Judy being a couple, but not their couple acts.

After finishing breakfast and paying their bill, the kids made their leave and were all about to head to their homes.

"You guys wanna call the others and hang out later?" Judy asked.

"I feel that it's more of a free day today than a day to do something." Nick said. "But how about tomorrow?"

"I can't. I'm not free tomorrow." Darson said.

"Are you doing something tomorrow?" Benji asked.

"Kinda." Darson replied.

"What are you doing?" Judy asked looking very curiously.

"It's... a family matter. Can't tell you." Darson answered.

"Hmm... something tomorrow..." Nick said as he started to ponder about it. "Oh! That's right! Isn't it your birthday tomorrow?"

Darson's eye widen in surprise. "How did you know that?" Darson asked.

"Our dads talk." Nick answered.

"Wait? So it's really your birthday tomorrow?" Judy asked.

"Yeah..." Darson admitted. "Tomorrow, I'll officially be 13."

"Dude, we need to throw you a party." Nick said looking excited.

"Woah woah woah! A party is the last thing I need." Darson told Nick.

"Hold up. The coyote who asked me if I wanted to have a big party a few years ago is being a hypocrite and pretending he doesn't want a big party." Nick said to the coyote.

"Look, I'm serious." Darson said firmly. "Besides, pop and I already have plans."

"Seriouly, what plans do you have?" Nick asked.

"You seriously don't even know?" Darson asked surprised he couldn't guess. He then started to look depressed. "*sigh* Guess I'll remind you. The day I was born was also..."

Darson waited for the others to figure out the rest. After thinking for a few seconds, Nick, Judy, and Ben finally figured it out and started to look depressed as well.

"Ohh..." Nick, Judy, and Benji went. Nick and Judy's ears drooped down as they said it. They all remembered that Darson's mom died after giving birth to him.

"Yeah..." Darson said looking sadder.

"Look man, I'm sorry. I feel like a dumb fox for not realizing it sooner." Nick said feeling bad.

"No no. It's fine. I rather you don't feel mopey about it." Darson said. "On my birthday, pop and I usually visit her grave to better remember her. I may not have been blessed to know her, but I still do it to better remember her. That's why I don't want a party."

"We... understand." Judy said still looking sad.

"You sure you don't need some extra support?" Benji asked.

"Thanks, but... I think I need to be alone for now. I need to mentally prepare myself for tomorrow." Darson said. He then started walking away from the others. "Good workout. See you guys later."

Just like that, Darson left to go back to his home and it seemed like he wasn't planning on doing anything else. Nick, Judy, and Benji couldn't help but feel worried for their friend. This really was a sad time for him. But for now, they gave the boy his space.

Later that day, Nick texted everyone, except Darson, to meet up with them on their internet chat room. Nick's username was _WildeBoy247_. Judy's username was _Hopps4Carrots_. Ben's username was _DonutChaser14_. Mervin's username was _HowlsAtJokes100_. Finnick's username name was _ShortAndNotStoutXXX_. Falisha's username was _DaStrikingTiger_. Audran's username was _AntlerBoyFromUpNorth_. Ronnie's username was _BearyFriendlyBear_. Lastly, Flash's username was _SpeedKingOfTheCity_.

 _WildeBoy247: Tomorrow is Darson's b-day. Meaning it's also the day his mom died._

 _DaStrikingTiger: That's right. His mom died shortly after giving birth to him because of her illness._

 _WildeBoy247: Yeah. That's why he doesn't want a party._

 _ShortAndNotStoutXXX: It's understandable. He must be having it rough._

 _Hopps4Carrots: It showed when he left and said he needed to mentally prepare himself._

 _HowlsAtJokes100: What should we do? Should we check on him or leave him be?_

 _DonutChaser14: He said he wanted to be alone. I think we should let him._

 _DaStrikingTiger: I suppose you're right. Let's just let Darson be for the rest of the day. At least for now._

 _WildeBoy247: Even so, Darson's still our friend. We got to do something for him._

 _Hopps4Carrots: Nick's right. Darson's not the bully he used to be. He's our friend now._

 _BearyFriendlyBear: So what do you two have in mind?_

 _WildeBoy247: Uhhhhhhhh..._

 _Hopps4Carrots: Ummmmm..._

 _ShortAndNotStoutXXX: Sounds like those think-tanks are on empty._

 _WildeBoy247: :(_

 _AntlerBoyFromUpNorth: Look, we don't need to throw Darson a big party. We just need to be there for him when he needs us. It shows that we care for him._

 _HowlsAtJokes100: Yeah. I agree with that._

 _DaStrikingTiger: That is what friends do, after all._

 _SpeedKingOfTheCity: So... what do we do exactly?_

 _WildeBoy247: One thing comes to mind. I'll tell you all tomorrow._

 _Hopps4Carrots: Alright, Nick._

They all closed the group chat and logged out.

The next day, it was... Darson's Birthday. The mood around the house was different than yesterday. It was quiet and saddening. As Darson looked at himself in the mirror, he brushed his fur a bit. He felt that he should look good even for a day like today. He then picked up a usual, yet beautiful looking light-blue flower in his paw. Darson then went downstairs to meet up with his dad. It was a hard day for him as well.

"Hey, dad..." Darson said to Bruce. "I'm off to visit mom now. You sure you don't want to come?"

"I've already visited her early this morning." Bruce stated looking depressed.

"Right..." Darson said with his head down. "Well, see you later."

"Darson..." Bruce said calling out to his son before he leaves. "I know it's a rough day, but it's still your birthday day. Try to be happy about it."

"I'll try, pop." Darson said before leaving the house.

As Darson closes the door, he's surprised with who he sees in front of him. It was Nick. Like Darson, he also was holding a flower.

"Nick? What are you doing here?" Darson asked.

"Support." Nick answered. "Since you are visiting your mom's grave, I thought I'd come with."

"That's nice of you, but..." Darson said.

"But nothing. I'm coming with." Nick said firmly.

Darson could tell Nick wasn't going away. So there was no point in telling him to leave. Besides, while Darson didn't want to admit it, he could use some support.

"Alright. Follow me to the cemetery." Darson said leading the way.

"Words everyone likes to hear." Nick thought.

Nick and Darson started making their way to the cemetery. After taking a bus, the two made it their destination. The Green Trail Cemetery. It was known to be the place where many Zootopians laid their final rest. The boys walked up to the front gate. At the front was Judy, Ben, Finnick, Mervin, Flash, Falisha, Ronnie, and Audran. Like Nick and Darson, they were holding flowers.

"You guys are here too?" Darson asked.

"Support." The gang said.

"Even if you didn't want us to, we came to ease your pain a bit by visiting your mother's grave with you." Judy stated.

"It _was you-know-who's_ idea." Finnick stated.

Darson looked at Nick and knew that this was his idea. With that, Darson decided it would be okay if the others coming along.

"Fine." Darson said shrugging. "Follow me, everyone."

Darson led the group as they stepped into the cemetery. As they pass a few of the graves, they all couldn't help but have grim feelings. A cemetery is filled with the graves and bodies of dead loved ones. Not exactly a cheery place to be.

"It's something about cemeteries that give me a bad itch if you know what I mean." Falisha said.

"I get ya, Fal." Audran said. "I'm not a fan of cemeteries either."

"This is actually my first time ever been **in** a cemetery. I mean, I barely even go near one." Mervin stated.

"So, you haven't even been at a funeral for someone?" Judy asked.

"Not even. My mom and dad have, maybe one or two of my brothers, but never me." Mervin said honestly.

"I see." Judy said.

"What about you, Jude?" Mervin asked.

"Too... many to count, actually." Judy replied looking sadden. "When you have a family as big as mine, you have to go to a few services when a member dies. It's like my brother Edgar told me. So many bunnies born at the same time, many of them died around the same time."

Everyone felt that for Judy to say that, Bunnyburrow must have a few dark times. It saddens them.

"How does funeral work in Bunnyburrow?" Nick asked.

"Two ways. The usual way or a quick ceremony that usually ends with the fallen loved one being buried in burrows that are similar to a tomb with many others." Judy stated. "There are other ways too, but I rather not get into details. I don't... really like talking about death."

"Sorry, Judy." Nick said feeling a bit bad for bringing it up.

"Who doesn't hate talking about death?" Darson asked. "The only ones who can't really give an opinion... are the ones that are dead themselves."

Once again, the group felt sadder than earlier. Darson sees this and decides it was time to move on.

"Mom's grave is nearby. Let's keep moving." Darson said.

"Okay..." Everyone else went.

"You mind if we take a quick detour?" Ronnie asked. "My great aunt's grave is not that far from here."

"Fine with me." Darson said not minding.

With Ronnie taking the lead for a bit, the group makes a quick detour to Ronnie's great aunt's grave. It really wasn't that far. They stopped at a grave that said "Here lies Leslie Brewnz." Ronnie then places one of the flowers he had down near the tombstone.

"Sorry I haven't visited you in while, auntie. Hope you are still resting easy." Ronnie said to the grave.

"Were you close?" Audran asked.

"A little. She died when I was 8. I do remember her being really nice to me. She also baked really good honey cookies." Ronnie said smiling a little. "You guys would have liked her."

"I bet we would... and not just to try her cookies." Benji said.

"Alright. I'm done. Darson, you can lead the way again." Ronnie said.

Darson simply nodded and took the lead again. After many minutes of passing tombstones, they finally made it to their destination. Darson's mom's tombstone. It reads "Here lies Videl M. Coynac. Someone who loved life." Darson had a blank expression as he looks at the grave as he walked up to it.

"Someone who loved life..." Darson thought.

Nick, Judy, and the others could tell Darson was feeling emotional, even if he didn't say anything.

"Hey, mom." Darson said to the grave as he leans down and puts a blue lotus flower with white spots down. "I got you this flower. It's known to be called a moon lotus. The name that you usually call me in my dreams. Not... that you would really know. Also, I brought some friends with me this time." Darson then looks back at the others. "Come on, guys."

Each other of kids walked one at a time to Videl's grave and offered their flowers and Darson introduced each of his friends. Nick was first to come up.

"This is Nick. He's basically everyone's best friend. Me included." Darson said to the tombstone.

"Hey, Mrs. Coynac. Darson's been doing great." Nick said slightly smiling as he places his flower down.

Nick then walked back and Judy is next to come up.

"This is Judy. A very determined bunny who wants to be a police officer." Darson said to the tombstone.

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am." Judy said as she places her flower down.

Judy then walked back and Ben was the next person to walk up.

"This is Benjamin. We call him Ben and Benji. For a cheetah, he's on the heavy side, but he's one of the kindest people anyone could meet." Darson stated.

"It's true. I'm a very good boy." Benji said as he places his flower down like Nick and Judy.

As Benji walked away, Finnick came up.

"This is Finnick. He's short in both height and temper. But he has a very good heart when it matters." Darson stated.

"Ma'am, you should know your son was a bit of a pain a while back. But... he's changed a lot... and has made up for it tenfold." Finnick admitted as he puts his flower down with the others.

Finnick walked back to the other as Mervin was the next person to come up.

"Here is Mervin. He loves to laugh. Not just because he's a hyena." Darson said.

"Hey. I bet you liked to laugh too and had plenty of jokes. I would have loved to hear them." Mervin said smiling a bit as he places down his flower with the others.

Mervin then moved out of the way as Falisha walked up next.

"This is Falisha. She's both cunning and cleaver." Darson stated. "She's... also the only other girl here."

"Hello." Falisha says as she places her flower down. "For the record, there are other girls in our group. They are all just... far away. Really far away. But I'm fine. Juuuuust fine."

Darson felt a bit awkward with what Falisha just said. Guess Falisha really missed hanging out with more girls. He then shoo her away so the next person can go up. This time it was Ronnie.

"This is Ronnie. He seems tough, but he really a teddy bear once you get to know him." Darson stated.

"It's true. I really am." Ronnie admitted as he places his flower down with the others.

As Ronnie walked back, Audran walked up next.

"This is Audran. Another good friend. He's got antlers." Darson said.

"Would have really liked to see you in person, ma'am." Audran said as he puts his flower down. "As they say, in another life, eh?"

Audran stepped back and now Flash, who was the last one, slowly walked forward. Knowing it would take him a while, Audran and Ronnie lifted him up dropped closer to the tombstone.

"This is Flash. He's... slow, but he can surprise you sometimes." Darson stated.

Flash didn't say anything yet. He just slowly put his flower down with the others and then closed his eyes. It confused everyone for a while until he finally spoke.

"They say when someone dies, they become part of the universe. So... in a way, you might actually be watching over Darson... and us." Flash said.

"See? Surprising." Darson said with a light smile after Flash's words.

As Ronnie and Audran walked Flash back a bit. Nick patted Flash on the back for saying such kind words. After everyone said what they said, silence hit. Darson then started to look very sad as he looks at his mother's tombstone again.

"Guys... I about to say some really deep things. Can I trust you not judge me?" Darson asked the others.

"Why would we do that?" Nick asked.

"Say what you need to." Judy said.

"Thanks." Darson said looking back at Nick and Judy. He then went back to facing the tombstone. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Sooooo, today marks 13 years. Me being 13 years old and... you being dead for 13 years."

The gang was silent.

"Mom, I... I blamed myself for the longest time about your death. I thought I wasn't born, you would still be here and pop wouldn't be so sad. So, when he told me you were sick, it was a shock for me." Darson said. "Even now, I'm still worried. The doctors said I'm healthy and that the disease you had wasn't genetic. Yet... there was still a chance I could have..." Darson shook at the thought but tried to keep his composure. "Anyway, I'm doing... great now. Still not getting into trouble at school, grades are better, and I got quite a few friends. Pop, who probably visited you earlier, is doing well too. He still misses you dearly. To him, you were his world. Now he just has me."

Darson's family was... small. No living grandparents on either side and barely any cousins or family in the city. So it goes without saying that Darson and Bruce only really had each other. Darson then took another deep breath.

"Mom, I want to be honest. I'm... actually a bit mad." Darson admitted. "At times, when I was little, I would often see other kids with their moms. They would laugh with them, make them snacks, play with them, kiss their boo-boos, tuck them in, and tell them stories. Things that most kids our age would be embarrassed to talk about. I... never had any of those. I would do anything to have at least one of those happened. But I don't. I barely had an hour with you. An hour I can't even remember."

Darson had a small tear come down from his eyes. We quickly wiped it away and tried to get back to talking.

"Mom..., even if you weren't here to take care of me, even if weren't here to do all those things I said, and even if you weren't well enough to stay alive,... thank you." Darson said. "Thank you for wanting to have me. Thank you for being strong enough to have me. Thank you... for making pop happy. It was a short time, but you gave me a lot of love. I promise to be someone you can be proud of. I'm gonna be strong, noble, dependable and I won't ever go back to the old me." Darson then kneels down and touch the tombstone. "Love you, mom."

As Darson got back up, he turned to his friends. He then sees that each and every one of them was crying. Even Finnick.

"That... was beautiful, man." Nick said with his voice breaking.

"It was so sweet of you to say all that." Judy said with her voice breaking as well.

"I was not ready for today." Finnick said trying to hold back his tears.

"None of us were." Benji and Falisha said both crying more than anyone else.

"Guys... I want to thank you too." Darson said as he rubbed his arm. "For being such good friends. Nick, Judy, Ben, Finn, Falisha, Ronnie, Flash, Audran, even the guys in Bunnyburrow. If it weren't for any of you, I don't know where I would be."

"That's what friends do. I'm pretty sure we already told you that." Nick stated with a grin.

"Still, thank guys."

"Alright. Bring it in, everyone." Ronnie said wanting a group hug.

Darson and the other gathered and did a group hug. Darson felt happy. All of his friends cared about him and helped give him moral support. It was hard for him to believe that he used to bully a few of them. As nice as the hug was, it was getting awkward.

"Okay. We're done." Darson said wanting the hugging to end.

Everyone then stepped away from each other and apologizing if it felt too long.

"Alright. Let's head out." Darson said.

"Okay." Nick said.

The group all took one last look at Videl's grave and said their goodbyes. As they walked, Darson asked his friends one more thing.

"Guys, next year, I wanted to have a birthday party. I think mom would have wanted that. Is that cool with you guys?" Darson asked.

"We'll start planning right away." Falisha said.

"Expect a big party." Judy said.

"Wouldn't want it any other way." Darson said happily.

Meanwhile, back at Darson's home, Darson's dad, Bruce, was going through some boxes in the attic. The boxes were his wife's old stuff. He picked up one of her dreamcatchers.

"You really loved making these, did you, Videl?" Bruce thought as he looked at the dreamcatcher. He then put it down as he looks at an old photo of him with Videl. The two were wearing 60's-ish clothes. "Oh, my Videl. How I miss you."

As Bruce continued to look inside the box, he then sees something that caught his eye.

"What's that?" Bruce asked himself. He dug into the box and pulled out an old dusty video cassette. "An... old video tape?" Bruce then had a shocked look of realization on his face as he quickly stood up straight. "OF COURSE! HOW COULD I FORGET ABOUT THIS?!"

A few minutes later, Darson came back home with the others still behind him.

"Dad, I'm home!" Darson shouted out.

Bruce then walked over to the door and to his son. He had a bit of a serious look on his face.

"Darson, living room." Bruce ordered.

"Is... something u..." Darson asked.

"Now!" Bruce said sounding more firm.

The tone in Bruce's voice shook the kids a bit. Darson felt that he was in trouble for some reason. To his knowledge, he didn't do anything wrong. He still obeyed his father.

"Okay..." Darson uttered.

"Bring your friends too." Bruce said as he walked ahead to the living room.

Now the rest of the gang looked concerned. But they still just follow Bruce's words. Everyone made it to the living room. It was pretty spacious for a house with only two people. The TV was a decent size and the couch was big enough to hold three to four mammals depending on their sizes.

"Have a seat." Bruce said to the kids.

Darson, Nick, and Judy took the couch while the others just sat on the floor. Darson still had a worried look on his face.

"Pop, if I did something wrong, then..." Darson said. But before he could finish talking, Bruce handed Darson the TV remote. "Huh?"

"Press play." Bruce replied.

Confused, but interested, Darson took the remote and press play. Him and the others attention then went to the TV. The screen was black for a few seconds, then had static for another few seconds. Finally, there were some real images. On the TV was what looked like a nice outside area with a lot of trees. Popping out from the right side was a younger Bruce... wearing 'hippie' attire. A tie-dye shirt, a brown vest, and brown bell bottoms. Everyone responded to this... by laughing.

"Hahahaha! Is that you, Mr. Coynac?" Nick asked.

"Pop, I don't think it was wise to show you like this in front of all my friends." Darson stated trying to hold back his laughter.

"Just keep watching." Bruce said.

The kids continued to watch the video.

"Do I really have to be wearing this?" Bruce from the video asked. "I mean, I'm barely supposed to be in this video."

"Come now, lovebug. Remember who you're doing this for." A female voice holding the camera went.

The second he heard that voice, Darson's eye widen. The same for everyone else.

"That... that voice..." Darson uttered as he continued to watch the video.

"Alright. Give me the camera." Bruce from the video said as he walks over to the camerawoman and takes the camera.

As he takes the camera, he points it at a female coyote with light grey fur, a white dress with yellow flowers on it, and a white flower over one of her ears. She had a very warm smile on her face. Just one look and Darson who exactly who this was.

"Mom?!" Darson thought as he still continued to watch.

"It's on me, right?" Videl asked.

"Yes, dear." Bruce replied holding the camera.

In the video, Videl was pregnant. Around 6 months pregnant. Meaning this video was taken right before she died. Videl faces the camera as she smiled.

"Hello, Darson. Your father and I are making this little video for you while little you are still in my belly." Videl said as she pats her stomach. "Now, if you're watching this video, then that means my time on this Earth has passed. And if your daddy remembers right, even with his horrible memory, you're watching this on your 7th birthday I like requested him to do."

Hearing that, Darson paused the video and glared angrily at his dad. The same for the others. They all looked _pretty_ mad at Bruce.

"7TH BIRTHDAY?!" Darson shouted out in anger. Darson is 13 now. That means that he's watching this video 6 years late. Watching it then might have even prevented him from being a bully in the first place.

Bruce tried smiling very awkwardly.

"I'm forgetful. Your mother knew this." Bruce replied. "Now keep playing."

Darson and the others let their anger go and went back to playing the video and watching his mother talk.

"Look at this place. All the trees and the plants. They all started up so small and later grow up to be so beautiful. I hope it the same for you when you grow up." Videl said. Videl's smile then went away for a bit. "Darson, while I may not be here for you, I want you to know... your father and I... we **wanted** to have you. That's a fact. I know that there will be some days when you wish I was there for you to give you mother's love. If I could change things, I would. But I can't." Videl then tried to smile again. "It will be okay, Darson. In some way, I'll always be watching you in spirit. Telling you to stay strong, making sure you keep you hope alive, and most of all, love life. I want you to enjoy all the good things in this world as much as you can. As long as you can do that, I'll be happy."

"Oh. Sweetie, the battery's about to die." Bruce said in the video.

"Lovebug, you were supposed to change the battery before we started." Videl said looking a bit mad.

"Sooorry! Horrible memory. 'Member?" Bruce stated.

"I suppose it doesn't matter anymore." Videl said. "*sigh* Oh. I do wish I could I see you blossom. Just remember, make a lot of friends... and take care of your father for me. I love you, my little _Moon Lotus_."

After the image of Videl smiling for a few more seconds, the video turned to static. It was all that was recorded. Once again, all the kids were getting emotional. Each of them tried wiping the tears from their eyes.

"Like we weren't emotional wrecks earlier." Mervin stated trying not to cry too much.

"I don't think I've ever cried so much in my life." Ronnie admitted.

Darson was crying the most out of everyone. Which made sense since this was for him.

"How?" Darson asked.

"How... could I forget to show you this? Sorry. I really can be forgetful and..." Bruce said apologetically.

"Not that. Mom... she was wearing the exact same dress from my dreams with her. Her voice even sounds the same. She even called me Moon Lotus. I know for a fact that this is the first time I ever watch this." Darson stated. "So how? How was I able to know any of that?"

"I only have one good guess. Even with her being gone, the two of you still have a connection." Bruce said with a smile.

Whether it was explainable or unexplainable, Darson did have some connection with his mother Videl. It made him happy to know that. Darson then got out of the couch, walked over to his dad, and hugged him.

"Thank you for showing me this, dad." Darson said happily.

"You're welcome, my boy." Bruce said hugging him back.

"*sniff* *sniff* I REALLY was not ready for today." Finnick said as he wept a bit.

"None of us were." Benji stated again still very emotional.

After drying the, everyone wished Darson a happy birthday and left to head back to their homes. After the video, many of them felt that they needed to go see their moms. As Nick made it back to his home. He went to the living room, where Frankie was taking care of the twins in their high chairs.

"Oh. Hello, Nicky." Frankie said noticing her son came back.

Nick then say anything. He just walked over to his mother and hugged her. Frankie was a bit cough off guard by this.

"I love you, mom." Nick said as he embraced her tightly.

"Nick, where is still all coming from?" Frankie asked thinking Nick was acting weird.

"I just... feel like should let you know that." Nick said as he let go of his mom. He then walked over to Todd and Vicky and patted their head. "Minis, we have a great mom and we are lucky to have her. Remember that."

Frankie was still confused why Nick was acting the way he was, but was happy to think her son thought so highly of her.

Back at her and Gwen's apartment, Judy was sitting on her bed as she called a number on her cellphone.

"Hey, mom. How are you?" Judy asked. She was on the phone with Bonnie. "..." "Me? I'm fine. I'm just calling cause... I miss you and wanted to talk for a while. Is that okay?" "..." "Great."

 **Finally. This chapter took longer than it needed, but it's done. Sorry about the wait. But you know how I can be.**


	8. Not as Lucky: Part 1

**Hey, everyone. Okay, so if you guys read my first "While We're Young" story, you already know that I like to do chapters that have quite a bit of tense drama. If you are not much of a drama read, well... sorry. I know I just did a tearjerking chapter. But you can't expect this to always be a fluff piece. There's also nothing that says drama like a two-parter. Soooo... when I was doing my old story, I came up with a lot of headcanons for Bunnyburrow. In the movie, they made Bunnyburrow seem like this happy place were bunnies can be bunnies. Yet, like Zootopia, it should also have a dark side. What happens to bunny children that lose their parents? How can some bunny family stay stable with so many kids? What happens to the bunny kids when their parents get divorced? These were a few things that came to mind. So it goes without saying that, one of those is gonna be the main subject for this chapter. Alright. Let's get to it.**

* * *

Walking down the streets of Zootopia were Nick and Judy, looking pretty happy. The two had finished hanging out with the others today and are currently walking together, holding paws as boyfriends and girlfriends do.

"No way!" Judy said to Nick.

"Yes, way!" Nick replied to Judy. "You know I wouldn't lie to you, Carrots."

"Well then, you will have to take me to try these cupcakes." Judy said smiling.

"Promise. I will." Nick told Judy.

As the two went on about cupcakes, they walked nearby a back alley. As they did, Nick noticed something behind a dumpster. He could have sworn he saw a figure.

"Huh?" Nick said as he halted.

"What's up, Nick?" Judy asked.

"I... think I saw something from behind that dumpster." Nick stated as he pointed at the dumpster.

"Like what, exactly?" Judy asked.

"Not... sure..." Nick said as walks up and tries to get a better look.

Judy followed Nick into the alley. As they look at the side of the dumpster, they see the ears of a bunny. Then they happen to see a whole bunny. The bunny was a young doe around the age of 7. She had golden brown fur with a brown muzzle and blue eyes. She had a grey shirt and blue jeans, but they look dirty and worn out. Nick and Judy look concerned for the little bunny.

"Hey, little bunny?" Nick asked trying to get her attention. "Are you okay?"

The bunny turned to Nick and looked totally frightened. A sign of this was her nose twitching and her body shaken.

"Hey now, don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." Nick said in a calming voice.

"Hey! Stay away from my sister, fox!" A young male voice from behind the shouted out

Nick and Judy turned around to see a young brown bunny with blue eyes around the age of 8. He had on a blue and black striped shirt with torn up jeans. His clothes were pretty dirty and worn out like the other girl.

"Another one?" Nick said surprised to see another young bunny.

"Did he said 'sister'?" Judy asked.

"Huh? Another bunny?" The young buck said noticing Judy. "What? Are you holding her against her will?"

"What?" Judy said stunned to hear the buck think that.

"Oh great. A bunny who think the negative about foxes. Haven't had that in a while." Nick said with a straight-face. "Still not a fan."

"Look, whatever you're thinking, he means no harm." Judy said defending Nick.

"Likely story." The young buck said not believing Judy's words.

Then, the voice of a female spoke to them.

"Stand down, little bro." The voice said

The four turn to see who it was. It was another young girl bunny. This bunny was dark brown fur, extra fur that shook out of her forehead, and blue eyes. She had on a black vest over a blue shirt and torn jeans. Like the other two, her clothes seemed dirty. But unlike the other two, she was around Nick and Judy's age.

"Look, whatever reason you're here, we don't want any trouble." The older doe said.

"And trouble you won't get." Nick said.

"We just saw the little bunny here and we were a bit concerned." Judy said.

"From you, I believe. But the fox, I find it hard to bel..."The older doe said. She then paused when she looked at Judy. She sees her grey fur and purple eyes and she thought that she was... familiar. "Judy?"

Judy was surprised that the bunny knew her name. Then she took a good look at the bunny and realized that she was familiar too.

"May?" Judy asked.

"Oh my gosh. It IS you." The bunny replied as she started to smile.

"Wait? You know her, Carrots?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. This is May. We were friends when we were little. I haven't seen her in years." Judy stated to Nick.

"I'm surprise that you still remember me." May said. "But can I ask, who's this fox with you?"

"First off, he's not just a fox. His name is Nick." Judy said introducing him.

"What, is he your boyfriend or something?" May asked.

"Yes, he is." Judy answered.

The answered stunned May and her two siblings.

"Seriously?" May said still stunned by Judy's answer.

"Seriously. Nick Wilde, Judy's loyal boyfriend, at your service." Nick said politely as he bowed.

"Do... your parents even know about this?" May asked.

"My whole family knows about this." Judy stated. "Nick and I have known each other for years. He came to my house and asked if I wanted to be his girlfriend."

"That's... really is surprising." May said still a bit stunned by the information.

"Feel like that's an insults." Nick said.

"If it sounds like it, then I apologize." May said to Nick. "As Judy said, I'm May. Over there is my little brother, Linc, and my little sister, Ivy." She then pointed at the other two bunnies.

"Hello." Nick said waving at the little bunnies.

"Still don't trust you." Linc said firmly as he crossed his arms. Ivy responded by nodding her head agreeing with her brother.

"Guess I'll just have to earn their trust." Nick said to May as he shrugged.

"So May, why are you and your brother and sister here in Zootopia instead of Bunnyburrow?" Judy asked.

"It's... a long story." May said not wanting to talk about it.

For Nick, May didn't need to talk about it. He looked at her and her siblings' clothes and took a wild guess.

"Hmmm. Judging by your clothes, the dirt on it, the tears, and the fact that you are all around an alleyway. You guys are _runaways_." Nick stated.

May, Linc, and Ivy didn't say anything. They all just looked away from Nick which pretty much gave him their answer.

"So, you ARE runaways?" Judy asked.

May sighed before she responded to Judy. "Follow me." She said to Nick and Judy.

May started walking farther down the alley with Linc and Ivy following her. Nick and Judy decided to follow. May led Nick and Judy to a back corner where a bunch of boxes and rags forming a shelter.

"This... is our home." May told them.

Nick and Judy were beyond words at the sight of this. These three kids were living in a bunch of boxes put together? A sad sight to see.

"Looks... cozy." Nick said trying to sound positive.

"Nick!" Judy whispered thinking that Nick's comment was not the right thing to say.

"It's not much, but it's nice for us." May stated.

"It's like a Super Fort." Linc said sounding happy.

"This... is a lot to take in." Judy said feeling overwhelmed by this. "How did this happened? Why are you living with your parents?"

"That's a subject we don't want to talk about." May said firmly.

"How do you even get by?" Nick asked.

"We get by fine." May said as she paces a bit. "We scavenge what we need from dumpers near restaurants. You would be surprised at how much food gets wasted every day in this city."

"We can usually get the good stuff. Some restaurant owners would even give us food if we ask after they close." Linc stated.

"We have enough covers and sheets to keep us warm on cold nights, tarps to cover our shelter when it rains, and clothes and other supplies to help us get by." May said.

"This is how you been living this whole time? All three of you?" Nick asked.

"Like I said, we get by fine." May said firmly.

Looking at the three rabbits, Nick and Judy could tell that they have been through a lot to end up like this. I mean, box shelter or not, they were basically homeless. What could have happened to them that force them to live out on their own? Judy then tugged at Nick.

"May, do you mind if Nick and I talk for a bit?" Judy asked.

"Sure. But it's not like I won't know what you are gonna talk about." May said.

Nick and Judy took a few steps away from the 3 and talked.

"What should we do, Nick?" Judy asked.

"What can we do? I mean, I knew that some kids in the world have to live out on the streets. But the idea of it is still..." Nick said.

"I know. It bothers me even more since she's someone I've known." Judy said looking concerned. "Ummm... maybe we should take them to my sister. Gwen will know what to do with them."

"You sure that they want help?" Nick asked.

"Whether they admit it or not, they can't just keep living the way that they are now. We got to help them out. Even a little bit." Judy said.

Nick would often agree with Judy and today was no different. Living in boxes alone with no parents? It was no real way for children to live.

"Alright, Judy. If they are willing to, then let's take them to Gwen." Nick said.

In agreement, Nick and Judy then walked back to May, Linc, and Ivy.

"May, you remember my big sister, Gwen, right?" Judy asked.

"One of the sisters that I actually DO remember, yes." May answered.

"Gwen is why I staying in Zootopia for the Summer. You and your siblings should come and pay her a visit." Judy suggested.

"Thanks for the offer, but we'll decline." May said.

"Sis already told you. We're fine. We don't need any handouts." Linc stated.

"It's not a handout. It's just visiting an old friend." Judy stated. "Come on. Gwen would to see you and... it's not like really look like you got any other plans, right?"

"Wouldn't you at least like spending some time NOT in a box?" Nick asked. "It doesn't have to be too long. Just a few minutes."

While May and Linc didn't seem to want to, their little sister was their main concern. They could handle things the way things were, but Ivy, she was still younger than them. Besides, it wasn't like it was something big. It was meeting a friend's big sister. So, they agreed to see Gwen at her and Judy's apartment. A few minutes later, they were all already in Gwen and Judy's apartment. Judy had explained their situation to her sister.

"Can't believe that it's really you, May." Gwen said looking at the young bunny. "I remember when you and Judy used to play in the mud. By looking at you, I would think you still do."

"Comes with the territory." May stated.

"Gwen, anyway we can help these three out?" Judy asked.

"Unfortunately, even with the way their situation is, I can't really help them." Gwen said.

"But Gwen..." Judy said hoping she could make her sister change her mind.

"Jude, we're living in a tiny apartment. There isn't enough room for all of us. Not only that, I have to save my money for us and my stuff for college." Gwen stated.

"But..." Judy said.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Judy? We get by fine. We don't need help." May stated.

"Hold on! While I can't help you, that doesn't mean you 3 don't need any help at all." Gwen said to May. "You three are still just kids and you shouldn't have to live the way you do."

"We have been handling it for over a year. So we're fine." Linc stated.

"A YEAR?!" Nick, Judy, and Gwen said stunned to hear this.

"So... you haven't slept in a nice bed, took a decent bath or shower, or even had a nice hot meal in over a year?" Nick asked.

"Longer than that? Closer to two years, actually." May stated.

"Oh my god." Gwen said stunned by this information. "Okay, now we REALLY need to find some way to help you. Seriously, what happened with you and your parents?"

"Not. Telling." May said still standing her ground around the subject. "We don't want to talk about it, so just respect our choice."

"Jeez. You really don't want to talk about it, huh?" Nick asked as he scratches the back of his head. Nick then looked down at Ivy. "Can you tell us anything, sweetie?"

Ivy just shook her head no. Nick and Judy then realized something. Ivy hasn't said anything at all since meeting her.

"Why doesn't Ivy say anything?" Judy asked.

"She's... _mute_." May stated.

"Mute? She can't talk?" Judy asked.

"Not 'can't' talk. **'Won't'** talk." Linc said. "She hasn't spoken in a long time."

"Really? You won't speak?" Nick asked Ivy.

She responded by nodding. So, three homeless rabbits that don't want to talk about why they are living on their own and one of them doesn't speak at all. Nick could definitely tell whatever happened to them, it must have been something big.

"Look, it was nice seeing you again, Judy and Gwen, but we should go." May said thinking they should leave.

"Wait!" Judy said halting them from leaving. "We can't just let you go just yet. At least let us help you in some way."

"You still like to help out whoever's in need, do you?" May asked knowing it was one of Judy's traits. "Thanks, but we don't need help."

"At least let us do something for you." Judy said.

"What can you actually do?" May asked.

"Well..." Judy said trying to think of something.

"You can stay at my place." Nick suggested. "My house has plenty of room."

"WHAT?!" May and Linc said looking shocked.

"Yeah. That's not a bad idea." Judy said with a smile.

"Stay at a **fox's** home? That IS a bad idea." Linc stated. "We're not spending a night in a fox family's home."

"I'll call them to see if it's okay." Nick said as he ignores Linc's comment and takes out his cellphone. He then walks out the door and makes the call in the hall.

"We're NOT spending a night in a house of foxes!" Linc shouted out as Nick left.

"You don't have to worry about Nick's parents." Judy said to the bunnies.

"Mr. and Mrs. Wilde are the kindest and honest foxes that you will ever meet." Gwen added. "Their family has been friends with our family for years."

"We're willing to slightly trust your boyfriend. But a WHOLE family of foxes?" May said looking unsure about this. "Besides, I don't think they would..."

Before May could finish what she was saying, Nick came back into the room.

"We're good. Mom and Pop said that it's okay." Nick said smiling.

"See? There you go." Judy said happily.

May, Linc, and Ivy's ears all drooped down. Guess the thought about spending a night at the Wildes home, a family of foxes' home, didn't sit well with them.

"Wh... we... we're not..."

"Just spend **one** night at my house. A bed, a bath or shower, and a nice warm meal." Nick said to them. "What do you got to lose?"

"Our lives?" Linc replied. May then slapped him on the back of his head. "Owww! What? We were all thinking the same thing?"

"I told you, Mr. and Wilde are very kind and honest." Gwen stated. "You will all be fine. Besides, we're gonna head over their anyway."

"We... tend to have dinner at their house every night." Judy stated smiling awkwardly.

"They're the siblings that don't know how to cook." Nick said with a sly grin.

"We know how to use a microwave." Judy said looking a bit peeved.

"Doesn't count." Nick said with a sly grin. Nick then looked at May and her siblings. "Alright. Dinner at my place. You're gonna like my parents."

"They don't plan to eat us, do they?" Linc asked raising an eyebrow.

"They're not gonna eat you." Gwen stated.

"Besides, if they WERE gonna eat bunnies, don't you think they would have eaten us by now?" Judy asked.

While it wasn't the first time someone brought up the whole 'foxes eat bunnies' thing in a way and while Nick would never even think about eating Judy, he did want to joke around a bit.

"Maybe... it was all an act?" Nick said sounding all sinister-like. He then grabbed Judy and held her tight. "Now that I have you, I can feast upon you."

Judy played along with Nick's 'sinister' act.

"Eeek! Oh, noes!" Jud says as she faints in Nick's arm and being overdramatic. "How could I have been deceived after 4 years of trust? Oh woe! Oh, woe is me!"

"Okaaaaay. You're milking it again." Nick stated to Judy.

Gwen laughed a bit, but May, Linc, and Ivy felt weird about Nick and Judy's relationship.

"Is this normal for these two? Cause it's gross." Linc said.

"Is it because they're fox and rabbit or because it's what couples do?" Gwen asked.

"The second one." Linc said.

"Oh. That's okay then." Gwen said. "You're probably still on the 'cootie' phase."

A few minutes later, everyone headed over to the Wilde's home. Since Nick already told his parents about their guests, they were already preparing for them. Nick opened the front door with his key. They all head inside and are greeted by John and Frankie.

"Hey, mom. Hey, pop!" Nick said to his parents.

"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde." Judy and Gwen said waving at the two foxes.

"Hey, everyone." John said in his usual friendly matter.

John and Frankie then notice the 3 bunnies, May, Linc, and Ivy.

"Oh? These must be the three you talked about." Frankie said. She then waved at them. "Hello."

"These are my parents. Johnathan and Francine Wilde." Nick said introducing them to May and her sibings.

"Nick told us about your situation. So we hope you are willing to spend the night with us." John said with a smile.

May didn't really seem too scared of them. Just looking at them, she could tell that both John and Frankie had a very kind nature. Linc and Ivy, however, they didn't seem too fond of them yet.

"Ivy and I are still not okay with this whole thing." Linc said trying to sound. "Right, Ivy?"

Ivy simply nodded her head.

"Let us guess. You think we're untrustworthy and that we might 'eat' you because we are foxes, right?" Frankie asked raising an eyebrow.

"Seems like forever since a rabbit has judged us. Guess we're too used to having the Hopps family around." John stated. "Well then, we hope to earn your trust later on. For now, just make yourselves at home."

May and her siblings looked around the Wildes house. It was better then they expected. They originally that the house was gonna look old, rundown, and scary. But it was actually very nice. It sure beats staying in a bunch of boxes.

John and Frankie then both looked at the 3 bunnies clothing. Pacifically, all the dirt and tears on it. With Frankie's maternal instinct, she hated seeing dirty clothes. With John's tailor instinct, he hated seeing torn up clothes.

"Mmmmmmm..." Both John and Frankie grunted.

"Wha... what?" May said feeling a bit scared of the grunting.

"Your clothes..." John uttered.

"Your scent..." Frankie said. "You all need baths, stat."

"And I need to fix up your clothes. But not before they get a good washing." John said.

"I'll draw a bath." Frankie said already making his way to the bathroom. "The young ones can go first, then the older one."

"Guess I'll prep for dinner." John said as he headed to the kitchen.

"Uh... wai..." May said feeling a bit overwhelmed by how much John and Frankie want to do for them.

"Don't bother." Nick said. "Once they're like this, they are in their own zones."

May, Linc, and Ivy weren't used to such hospitality from foxes. But they were willing to accept it. A couple of minutes later, Frankie had already filled up the bathtub hot water and soap. Once that was finished, she called in Linc and Ivy.

"Okay, you two. Hop in." Frankie told them. "The tub's big enough for both of you."

"Uhhhhhh..." Linc went sounding unsure that he wanted to take a bath with his little sister.

"Come on. You can't tell me you two haven't bathe together before." Frankie said. "Now, be sure to wash behind your ears, and put your clothes outside of the door, so I can wash them. I have some of Nick's old clothes for you that should fit both of you with no problem."

"Okay..." Linc said. Linc then looked over the tub. He was worried if the bath wasn't what it seemed. "Exactly what's in this... bath?"

"Oh, the usual. Water at 350 degrees, a few herbs and spices, as well as some other ingredients." Frankie said with a smirk. "Should make your bodies nice and tender."

What Frankie was describing was practically bunny stew. Both Linc and Ivy's nose twitched from that comment. Frankie then started laughing.

"I'm joking. I'm joking." Frankie responded. "It's just hot water that's not too hot and soap. Should make you both nice and clean. So, I'll leave you to it."

Frankie then left the bathroom. Ivy seemed willing to take the bath. Linc, however, didn't seem to WANT to take a bath.

"Pssh! Let's pretend to take the bath." Linc whispered to Ivy. "I mean, she won't notice, right?"

"I don't hear any splashing in there!" Frankie shouted from outside the door.

"We... uhhh... just got in!" Linc shouted back as he splashes his paw into the water a bit.

"Nicky used to do the same thing when we didn't want to take a bath! So I know fake splashing when I hear it!" Frankie shouted out. "Now get in the tub! Don't let me come in there."

"You wouldn't dare!" Linc shouted back.

She dared. Frankie put both Linc and Ivy in the tub and started scrubbing them with a loofah. Ivy seemed okay with it, but Linc pouted in total defeat.

"Arms up." Frankie said to Linc.

Linc put his arms up and Frankie scrubbed underneath them. Then scrubbed beside his head.

"See? Doesn't it feel nice to get clean?" Frankie asked Linc.

"No. I hate baths." Linc said still looking pouty.

"Haha! You sound like Nick when he was a little younger than you." Frankie said smiling a bit. Frankie then started to scrub Ivy a bit. Ivy seemed to pretty happy to be clean. "Your sister seems okay with a bath. You should be a bit more like her."

Ivy then stuck her tongue at Linc.

"I WILL splash you." Linc said to his sister.

"No, you won't." Frankie said with a firm tone.

"Yes, ma'am." Linc said not wanting to upset Frankie.

Meanwhile, May was looking around the Wilde house. She stopped to look at a wall that was filled with pictures hanging from it. May sees that Judy and the other Hopps members were in several of these pictures. As well as Nick and Judy with a few of their friends at their younger years. As she looks at the pictures, Judy and Gwen come from behind her.

"It's not as impressive as the wall at our house, but it's a close second." Judy said to May.

"Judy, you're in a lot of these pictures." May said.

"I like to believe so. I would be upset if I wasn't." Judy said.

"So, how close are you and your family to the Wildes?" May asked.

"Very, very close." Judy and Gwen replied.

"The Wildes have been there for us more times then we could think of. It's not just Nick and Judy that best friends. It's pretty much our whole family." Gwen stated.

"It's because of them, everyone has decided to do more than what bunnies usually do." Judy stated.

"And because of Judy, Nick was able to stay true to himself and ultimately form his own pack and make a whole bunch of friends." Gwen said.

"Wow." May said impressed. "What made you think you could trust them? You know, since their foxes and you're rabbits?"

"Once we met and got to know them, we realized that all the things were heard about foxes wasn't as true as we thought they were. Also, many of it was... pretty dumb." Judy said.

"The Wildes may have their sly side, but they are nothing like what we expected to believe about foxes." Gwen said. "There some of the best people in the whole city."

"That's why our family is willing to do anything for the Wildes and why the Wildes are willing to do anything for us." Judy said proudly.

May admired Judy and Gwen's words. They really did trust the family of foxes. It made her felt more comfortable being here. She then looks at a picture of Nick and Judy as kids. Nick was in his scout uniform and Judy was in her police costume. The two were holding each other close. This really showed that they cared about each other and May smiled.

A few seconds later, out came Linc and Ivy. They were both clean from their bath and wearing different clothes. Linc had a blue shirt and grey shorts while Ivy has a green shirt with blue shorts.

"Oh? You're done with your bath?" May asked.

"Uh huh." Linc said while nodding. Ivy nodded too.

"I'm surprised Mrs. Wilde got **you** to take a bath." May said.

"She was... forceful." Linc said looking a bit scared.

"Yeah. She's like that, sometimes." Judy and Gwen both stated.

"Well, if you two are done, guess I'm up next." May said as she makes her way upstairs.

May went up to the bathroom. Frankie was already near the door. Since she was much older than her brother and sister, she was more likely not to make a fuss. But she wanted to take a shower instead of a bath. She then left her clothes outside of the door for Frankie to pick up and put in the wash. Frankie had already put out some new clothes for her to change into.

During her shower, Nick offered Linc the opportunity to play some video games off his console. Linc jumped at the change stating that he hadn't played video games before. It showed cause of his lack of skill. Nick and Judy were willing to give him a few pointers.

Not really interested in gaming, Ivy went out on her own to look around the house. She then spots the stairway to the basement, AKA John's workshop. Curiously about it, the little bunny walked down the stairs. Already down there was John. It looked he was doing some stitchwork to one of his suits. Ivy took one extra step and a squeaky noise came from the stairs. John hears the noise and notices Ivy.

"Oh! Hello, sweetie." John said in his usual friendly matter. Ivy looked scared and felt that she wasn't supposed to be here. But John didn't seem to mind. "Don't be shy. Come here."

John seemed nice enough to Ivy, so she walked over to him.

"Ivy, right?" John asked wanting to make sure he got her name right. The little bunny nodded. "Nick and Judy said that you won't talk, correct?" Ivy shook her head. "I see. Well, you know what they say? Actions speak louder than words."

Ivy looked around and noticed all the suits and fabric around. She also sees John working some blue fabric. She pointed at the fabric curious on what it is for.

"Oh, this?" John said as he lifted up the fabric. "It just for a suit I'm making. I'm a tailor. Do you know what a tailor is?" Ivy shook her head. "Well... a tailor is some who makes clothes and also repairs them. I consider myself to be really good, it not the best in the city. But I'm not one to boast."

John then picked up Ivy and let her sit on his lap.

"Now, I got my start with Wilde and Son's. But later opened my dream store, Wilde and Family's Suitopia. But it wasn't easy. Many rejected my idea for the store. It... was mainly cause I was a fox. Most didn't believe a fox wanted to do a simple and honest business. But I didn't let it stop me. Eventually, after getting more business and making enough money, I was finally able to open up my dream store." John said happily. "It was a LOT of hard work, with many rough patches, but it was all worth it.

Ivy looked at John with awe. She had never met someone so bold, honest, and determined. Let alone someone who was a fox.

"Little Ivy, do you have any big dreams?" John asked. Ivy shrugged. She wasn't sure if she had a dream or not. "Well, you're still young. You can have whatever dream you like. You just need to have hard work to make it happen."

John then patted Ivy's head. Ivy smiled at John. To her, it was the first time in a while that she's actually smiling and had comfort from someone. Even with the smile, John couldn't help but think 'What could have happened to her?'.

After taking her shower, May felt fully cleansed. She had on an orange and white striped shirt and grey sweatpants. A couple of minutes later, it was time for dinner. Nick and Judy were setting up the table while John put the food out. Frankie came down from upstairs holding both Todd and Vicky.

"Look who's up from their nap?" Frankie said happily holding her babies.

"Wait? There's MORE of you?" Linc asked surprised to see the two babies foxes.

"This is the twins, Todrick and Victoria. They're my baby brother and sister." Nick stated to Linc.

"Aren't they adorable?" Gwen asked.

"Uhhh... is it true that baby foxes are given their first taste of bunny blood at birth?" Linc asked.

"Eww! Gross!" Judy said disgusted by that.

"That's a new one." Nick said never hearing anything like that about foxes.

"Dear, that's very untrue." Frankie stated. "My babies wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Toddy's get bitey sometimes, but it's just him teething. It's actually very gentle." John stated.

May looks at the twins. Both Todd and Vicky were sucking their thumbs with very innocent looks in their eyes.

"Well, they are very cute." May said with a smile. "Wait, can you call foxes 'cute'?"

"You can. Unless you bunnies, we foxes are willing to embrace our cuteness." Nick stated proudly as he bumped Judy with his elbow.

"Can we eat now?" Judy asked feeling annoyed.

"Yes. Food's ready." Frankie said.

On the table was a big spread of food. Mashed potatoes and gravy, bread rolls, corn on a cob, and some steamed and glazed carrots. Plenty of food, even with the extra guest. After everyone clapped their paws together, they shouted out "Time to eat!". They each picked up some food and put it on their plates. Linc pretty much wolfed the food down like he hadn't eaten in days.

"Now now. Eat slowly." Frankie said being motherly to Linc.

"Sorry!" Linc said with his mouthful and before swallowing. "Your food's really good."

"Why, thank you." Frankie said happily. "There's plenty, so eat your fill."

"Okay." Linc said.

During dinner, the Wildes were telling some funny stories about their lives. As they tell stories, there was some laughter. Even Ivy laughed a bit, which surprised everyone. But even with the good food and laughter, May didn't even touch her food yet. Everyone noticed.

"Is something wrong?" Frankie asked.

"It's not poisoned if that's what you're worried about." Nick said as he eat some corn.

"I know." May said.

"You better eat your food before it gets cold." Judy said to May.

It had been a very long time since May had a nice and hot meal. So she felt a bit conflicted to eat. But her brother and sister liked the food enough and she WAS hungry. She took a spoonful of the mashed potatoes and tried it. Her eyes widen after eating it. The mashed potatoes were warm and had a fluffy texture. The gravy was very flavorful. It was simple, but May was feeling emotional.

"It... really good." May said. A tear then fell from her eye.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Nick asked looking concern since May was crying.

"Is something wrong?" Judy asked also worried.

"Sorry." May said wiping the tear from her eye. "Guess it's really been a long time since I've had a real meal."

May then continued eating her food. It was clear she liked it, but her single tear said something else. Later, everyone's plates were clear and the food was eaten.

"Thank you for the meal, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde." May said being thankful. "Everything was so good."

"Glad you liked it." Frankie said with a worried looked on her face.

"You guys aren't any of the things that we heard about foxes. You showed us more kindness than anyone has in this city." May stated.

"We did tell you that." Gwen stated.

"Yeah. You did." May said looking down at her plate.

As great is it was to help them, they still wanted to know their story. Why were they all in Zootopia and leaving on the streets?

"May, can you tell us what happened to you and your siblings that has you living in the streets?" Nick asked. "Please? We need to know."

"Ummm..."May went still unsure if she should say anything.

"If it's too much for you, you don't have to." John said.

"Can we tell them, sis?" Linc asked.

"Do you really want them to know?" May asked her little brother.

"I do." Linc said.

"What about you, Ivy?" May asked her little sister. Ivy nodded. After taking a deep breathe, May was ready to talk. "Okay. You all have treated us so nicely, it's only fair we tell you what happened. But... it's not a happy story."

Nick, Judy, Gwen, John, and Frankie all mentally prepared themselves for the story they were about to hear.

"It all started a few years ago when we were still living in Bunnyburrow. Like most bunny families, our family runs a farm. It was our mom, dad, and 106 of us kids. Things were... only okay with our farm. Actually, to be honest, things weren't that good at the farm." May said.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked.

"Farming is a very cutthroat job in Bunnyburrow. With so many rival farms, it hard for a few to even get to the top. And our family farm... was pretty much at the bottom." May stated. "Our products were lacking and we didn't get many sales. Our dad wasn't too happy it and mom didn't like the angry side of him."

"What happened?" John asked.

"Eventually, mom and dad's marriage was on thin ice and... they soon got divorced." May stated.

"DIVORCED?!" Judy and Gwen shouted out in shock.

Now, while not uncommon, divorce was very, very rare when it came to rabbit couples. Most rabbit couples stay together, even if their marriage is rocky. It's also mainly because of the kids. So to hear the word was a big shock for Judy and Gwen.

"Yeah. Once the papers were signed, mom moved out of the house and all of us kids stayed with our dad." May stated. She then looked at Judy. "Judy, do you remember when we stopped seeing each other?"

"Uhh... yeah. One day, I realized that you stopped going to school." Judy said. "I thought your family just moved or something."

"Our dad made everyone drop out of school." May stated. "He said _'There's no point in you kids going to school anymore. Just work on the farm and you won't have to learn anything.'_."

"No school isn't as fun as it sounds." Nick said. "Without school, you can't learn new things or make friends."

"I wish we knew that sooner." May stated. "Our dad would just make us work on the farm day in and day out. It didn't matter if we were tired, he'd force us to work if he had to."

"What do you mean by... force?" John asked. "He didn't... hit you kids, did he?"

"I... can't say." May said shaking a bit.

"That's the same as saying yes." John said starting to look a bit mad.

"It's... kinda of the reason Ivy doesn't talk." May stated.

"What?" John and Frankie said shocked by this information. They then look at Ivy who just nodded admitting that it was true.

"If things are so bad with your dad, why didn't you just live with your mom?" Nick asked.

"It's not that simple for bunnies, Nick." Judy said.

"For bunnies families, the husband and wife are two things. The provider and the caretaker. The provider being the husband and the caretaker being the wife." Gwen stated. "However, when the couple gets divorced, the provider gets custody."

"No 50/50?" Nick asked.

"When families are as big as the ones in Bunnyburrow, the 50/50 rule doesn't apply." Gwen said.

"They're right. The farm was in dad's name and mom didn't have any other job at the time." May stated. "Heck, we haven't even seen her in years."

"That's... so sad." Frankie said looking sad herself.

"A few years after their divorce, our dad just got worst. Always so filled with rage and anger. It scared us as kids. One day, I had enough and wanted to just leave the farm." May said.

"Ivy and I tagged along too because we didn't want to deal with dad anymore either." Linc said.

"Yeah. The three of us packed what we could and ran away. Far... far... away." May said. "We ran and constantly stopped at any places we could spend the night at. Abandon barns, the usual. Then one day, we snuck into a train leading to Zootopia. At first, we were happy about coming here. If you can make it in Zootopia, you can make it anywhere, right? Except, when you are just little bunny kids. Too young to work, barely had any money, and only had the clothes behind our backs. All we could do... was live off the streets and what we could get. It's tough, but it beat the way we were living before." May then drank her glass of water and sipped it before putting the glass back down. "That's our story."

"That's... one of the saddest stories I've ever heard. And I've heard a lot of sad stories." Nick said looking down.

"You three... have been through a lot." John said as he rubs his forehead.

"In the end, it's all about surviving. That's all we can really do." May stated.

Surviving or not, this still wasn't a way for kids to live. John and Frankie were still in disbelief with all they had heard.

"Mrs. Wilde, if it's not too much to ask, do you have any dessert?" Linc asked wanting something sweet.

"Huh? Oh. Right." Frankie said getting back to reality. "I hope blueberry cobbler and ice cream is okay."

They all lightly nodded their heads. Even with Frankie getting dessert, it didn't make things any sweeter after hearing that story.

Hours later, Judy and Gwen went back to their apartment. Nearly everyone in the Wilde house was in bed. Frankie looked at the twin's room and sees Todd and Vicky peacefully sleeping in their crib. Frankie then goes downstairs to check on their guest. Linc and Ivy both slept on the pull-out couch. Frankie sees that Ivy was getting enough of the sheet, so she got another sheet for her and covered her with it. Frankie smiled a bit but still felt sorry for them. Lastly, Frankie went to Nick's room and slightly opened the door. She sees May sleeping on Nick's bed while Nick is sleeping on a futon. Nick must have offered to let May sleep in his bed for the night. With everyone asleep, Frankie gently closes the door and then goes to her room.

In their room, John and Frankie were still up in their bed. They just couldn't get the thought of May and her siblings out of their head.

"I don't think I'm gonna get much sleep, dear." John said as he rubbed his forehead.

"Me neither. Those poor kids have been through a lot." Frankie said.

"What kind of father would abuse his own kids?" John said.

"We have to do something about this." Frankie said.

John then picked up his cellphone and started dialing numbers.

"Who are you calling, Johnathan?" Frankie asked.

"Who do you think, Francine?" John replied.

John held the phone in his ear and waited for a response. After 4 rings, someone speaks.

" _Hello?_ "

"Stu, it's John. We need to talk."

 **That's the end of part 1. So yeah, we got quite a bit of drama in this first part. Trust me on this, there's only gonna be more drama in the next part. Sorry in advance. Getting more motivated to do more chapters for this story. So let's hope I can keep the flow going. Until next time, I'll keep you in suspense.**


	9. Not as Lucky: Part 2

**Alright, here we go with Chapter 9 and part 2 of the last chapter. Sorry if this took long. Kingdom Heart 3 came out and... you know. Gotta play it. If you think the last chapter was dramatic, this one is gonna be no different. In fact, it's gonna be a whole lot more dramatic. If you were paying attention to the last chapter, Nick and Judy meet 3 bunnies that are runaways from Bunnyburrow. May, Linc, and Ivy. It turned out Judy was friends with May when she was little. So they take the kids to Nick's place and his parents take care of them. After their kindness, May shares that she and her siblings have been abused by their dad. Shocked by this, John and Frankie feel that they need to do something. So they call up Stu and Bonnie. I've always felt pretty conflicted to do a chapter like this at first. But chapters like this are always good to bring on a subject like this. I don't have abusive parents, but I'm aware that many people aren't as lucky. With the way the movie Zootopia does some things, it is believable that this kind of stuff happened outside of the movie. I mean, Nick got muzzled as a kid and Judy got clawed in the face. Those were pretty dark scenes. Even if things get dark, and they will, I hope you find this chapter to be a good read. Now, let's get to the chapter. Also, Happy 3 year Anniversary to Zootopia! Still loving the fandom.**

* * *

It was the middle of the day and May, Linc, and Ivy was still staying over at the Wilde's house. Also at the house, was Nick, Judy, and their friends. They were currently explaining what these three have been through.

"... and that's our story." May said as she finishing telling the others.

The gang was left speechless after hearing it. Benji, being as emotional as he is, was trying not to cry.

"Man. You guys have been through a lot." Ronnie said feeling bad for them.

"Yeah. It's... so much to take in." Mervin said as he rubbed the sides of his head.

"Parent's divorce, abusive father, running away from home..." Falisha said trying not to cry. "It really is a lot."

"I used to think my dad hated me, but he was giving me tough love at times since my mom was gone." Darson stated.

"My pops yells all the time, but he's not a bad guy." Finnick stated. "Compared to yours, he's a saint."

"Well, you guys are lucky that Mr. and Mrs. Wilde are letting you guys stay here." Benji stated. "You won't find anyone nicer than them."

"We know." May said feeling bad for thinking less at first.

"Nick's parents have been so nice to us. They already treat us better than our dad ever did." Linc stated. "It made us realize that all the things people say about foxes are wrong."

"Could have told you that." Nick stated with his arms crossed.

"Me too." Judy added.

"If you guys need anything or anyone to talk to, you can come to any of us." Audran said.

"Thanks." May said smiling. Linc and Ivy were smiling too. "Judy and Nick seem to have such good friends."

"That's... the... thing... about... them." Flash said.

"Whenever people are around them, they just seem to make their lives better." Mervin stated.

"Is that the case for all of you?" May asked. Everyone else nodded. "I see. Well, I guess it's true. Our days haven't been this good in a long time."

"Some of the best, actually." Linc said with a smile.

Ivy happily nodded.

"Alright. We're all going to head out." Finnick said getting up from the front. The same for everyone else.

"See you guys later." Nick said.

"It was nice meeting you all." May said to the others.

Finnick, Benji, Mervin, Darson, Flash, Ronnie, Audran, Falisha, and Darson then said their goodbyes and left the room. About a minute later, John and Frankie went into the room. John and Frankie were going to head to Bunnyburrow to meet up with Stu and Bonnie.

"Alright, kids. We're heading out now." Frankie said to the kids.

"Are you really going to Bunnyburrow?" Judy asked.

"Yeah. We're off to talk with your parents on what to do with their father." John told Judy.

"Are you going to beat up our dad?" Linc asked looking concerned.

"No. We don't plan on fighting your dad. We just want to have a talk with him." John said to Linc as he leaned down.

"You guys are foxes. Pretty sure he doesn't want to be near you two." Nick stated.

"That's why we're bringing Stu and Bonnie to 'lighten' the mood." Frankie said. "It's a long drive, but we'll be back later."

"Alright then." Nick said. "I'll look over the minis until you get back."

"Good luck." Judy said to John and Frankie.

After nodding, John and Frankie left their house to get into their car and begin their long drive to Bunnyburrow. The Wildes have done a lot of drives to Bunnyburrow in the past, but this was their first trip there in over a year. As they drive out the city and into some clear lands for over 200 miles, they finally made it to their destination. Bunnyburrow and the house of the Hopps residents. John knocked on the door and Bonnie was the one to open it.

"John! Frankie!" Bonnie said happily.

"Hey, Bonnie." Frankie said with a smile.

"Hey, Bon." John said with a happy wave.

Bonnie let the two foxes inside. Bonnie then hugged Frankie for a few seconds before going over to John and hugging him as well. Stu then walked up and notices the two foxes.

"Hey there, Francine." Stu said.

"Hey, Stu." Frankie said with a smile.

"Johnny." Stu said with open arms.

"Stewie." John said with open arms as well.

The two them embrace each other and patted each other on the back twice before ending the hug.

"Been a long time, John." Stu said looking up at John with a smile.

"Too long, old friend." John said to Stu with a smile.

After the hugging, a few of the Hopps kids noticed John and Frankie.

"Look! It's Mr. and Mrs. Wilde!" A boy bunny said excitedly.

A few seconds later a swarm of the younger Hopps kids started to surround John and Frankie.

"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde!"

"Long time, no see."

"Are you well?"

"Is Nick here too?"

"Hey there, little ones." Frankie said looking down at the kids. "Sorry. Nicky's still at home. It's just us here for today."

The kids seemed a little upset. All the kids really loved seeing Nick when they visit.

"Kids, why don't you all run along and let us talk to the Mr. and Mrs. Wilde?" Bonnie asked her children.

"Okay." The Hopps kids all went before running off.

Once the kids were all gone, it was time for the two sets about to talk about the serious matter at hand.

"As good as it is to see you two again, we didn't come here for just a cheery visit." John said in a serious tone.

"Remember when we talked to you on the phone?" Frankie asked.

"Right. That." Stu said knowing what they wanted to talk about.

"Let's come to the den and I'll make us some tea while we talk about this." Bonnie said.

The four then go into the den room and sat by a round wooden table. Bonnie poured some hot tea in four teacups. Each of them blew on their cups before taking a sip.

"This brings us back to the first time we had tea with you two." Bonnie said.

"We remember. You two were sooooo scared of us." Frankie said with a sly grin.

"We weren't THAT scared." Stu stated firmly.

"Mmm hmm." John and Frankie went with sly looks as they sip their tea.

"You make it sound like we were scared of everything." Stu said.

"Not **everything.** " Frankie said.

"Just 70 to 80 percent of all things." John said with a smirk.

"Oh, like you're Mr. and Mrs. Fearless." Stu said looking pouty.

"Now all jokes aside..." John said putting his cup down.

"Right. Time to talk about the 3 rabbit children at your house." Bonnie said.

"We remember little when May was little. But we didn't know she ran away from home. Along with two of her siblings." Stu stated.

"So, you want us to take care of them here? We got room for 3 more." Bonnie stated.

"No. In fact, if they want to, they can stay at our house." Frankie stated. "But that's not the problem."

"The real problem is their father. As well as the other 103 kids he still has." John stated.

"Owen Duggah." Stu said knowing the father's name. "I'm familiar with the guy. He's not one of the best farmers in the county. Heard about his divorce too, but didn't believe it was true at first."

"As you may know, bunnies divorcing each other is very rare around these parts." Bonnie stated.

"A troubled marriage is still a troubled marriage." John stated. "The point is, we heard what Owen did to his own kids. One of them is too scared to even speak."

"That poor dear." Bonnie said looking sad.

"We know. We can't believe anyone would hurt such a sweet little girl." Frankie said looking very concern.

"Since you guys are from here and most farmers keep tabs on each other, we were hoping you can take us to him." John said.

"What exactly are your intentions?" Stu asked.

"I'm pretty sure you know what they are." John said sounding a bit serious.

"I hope you're not intending to beat up Owen." Stu said looking concern.

"I don't intend to. But we do need to meet him face-to-face." John said. "We need to talk with him about how he should treat his kids and about May, Linc, and Ivy. I can't let someone like that slide."

"So, can you two take us to him?" Frankie asked.

Stu and Bonnie finished their tea before responding to their fox friends.

"*sigh* Now most bunnies stay away from other bunny's businesses." Stu told John and Frankie. "However, this is something we can't simply ignore now that it's caught our attention."

"We'll take you to his farm." Bonnie said to John and Frankie.

"Thank you." John said sounding grateful.

"Finish up your tea and we will take you to him." Bonnie said.

After tea, Stu and Bonnie took John and Frankie in their family truck to go to Owen Duggah's farm. John and Frankie had to ride in the back of the truck. It was bumpy, but they managed. As they drove, John and Frankie couldn't help but enjoy viewing the town. To be honest, John and Frankie both love the countryside and it's been too long since they visit it. A few minutes later, they park the car in front of Duggah's farmland. The four get out of the car and started looking around for Owen. The fields weren't as vast as the Hopps' fields. They didn't seem to have much besides carrots and a few other vegetables either. The field did had a few bunnies working them. They looked around the age Nick and Judy were. If not a little younger.

"We're here." Stu said to everyone else.

"So, do you think he's working the fields?" John asked.

"It looks like his kids sure are." Frankie said.

As the two sets of parents took a good look at the kids, they realized that most of them looked exhausted. A good sign that they were being overworked. It made the parents' hearts feel hurt.

"These kids look like they been working for hours." John said not looking too happy.

"Poor things..." Frankie said looking sad.

"Come on. Let's go find Owen." Stu said as he started to walk.

Sadden as they all were, they agreed with Stu that the main priority was to find Owen Duggah. The group of parents continued to walk around the fields. Stu and Bonnie weren't very impressed by them. Compared to their fields, they weren't special at all. After some walking, they spotted a black-furred rabbit in a red flannel shirt, blue overalls, and a black trucker's hat. He had a body type similar to Stu, but a bit taller and slightly more muscular. The rabbit looked like he was watching the kids pull some vegetables from the field.

"There. That's him." Stu said pointing at the rabbit. "That's Owen Duggah."

"He looks like you would expect." John stated.

"He looks like me." Stu stated.

"No. Just happens to have attire similar to yours... and just happens to be a farmer... and happens to have a lot of kids... and..." John stated.

"Johnny..." Frankie said thinking John should stop.

"Sorry..." John said agreeing with his wife.

"Come on. We came here for a reason, did we?" Bonnie asked.

Everyone else nodded and started to walk over to Owen. The rabbit dad still watched over his picking up the vegetables from his fields and didn't seem too happy with them.

"Hey! Don't pull like that." Owen said to one of his sons. "Pull too hard and you could ruin the carrot."

"Sorry! Sorry!" The frighten brown little bunny said.

"Yeah. You better be sorry." Owen said firmly.

"Hey!" John shouted from behind. "You shouldn't treat your son like that."

Owen turned around to see that he had guests on his farm. Stu, Bonnie, John, and Frankie. Owen already knew who Stu and Bonnie were. But he was stunned to see foxes with them.

"Well, Stu and Bonnie Hopps. To whatever do I own the pleasure of you being here on my farm?" Owen asked them.

"Owen Duggah." Stu simply said Owen's name.

Owen then looked at the Wildes. "Who are these foxes with you? Are they your fox friends or fox bodyguards?" Owen asked.

"Fox bodyguards?" John and Frankie said feeling offered.

"They are John Wilde and Francine Wilde." Stu replied.

"And they are NOT our fox bodyguards OR fox friends. They are our friends." Bonnie said firmly.

"Oh. So sorry then." Own said even if he didn't sound sorry. "So, why are you all here at my farm? Assuming it's not to scope at the competition."

"We're here because my wife and I need to talk to you about something." John said to Owen.

Owen didn't know why a couple of foxes needed to speak with him. Like most rabbit folk around these parts, he wasn't very fond of foxes. However, he might as well hear what they had to say. Owen then turned to his children.

"Kids, go get your other siblings and go to the house." Owen said.

The bunny children didn't really say anything. They all just listen to their father and left. Now it was just the adult.

"Alright fox, what is it that you want?" Owen asked John.

"It's not _fox_. It's John." John stated firmly to the rabbit.

"My mistake." Owen said. " _John_ , why are you here at my farm?"

"We... wanted to discuss something with you." John said.

"It's about your children. May, Linc, and Ivy." Frankie said.

Owen took 3 seconds before saying "Who?".

That one word almost set all four of the parents off. _Who?_ Does he really not know about his 3 children that ran away?

"May, Linc, and Ivy." Frankie said their names again. "Your three kids that ran away all the way to Zootopia. Our children found them and they are at our house right now."

"You really don't even remember your own kids?" John asked looking a little mad.

"I have over a hundred kids. You can't expect me to remember _all_ of them. Let alone keep track of them." Owen said shrugging.

"Bonnie and I know ALL of our kids' names." Stu stated firmly.

"Well, good for you." Owen said with a hint of sarcasm. "But ask for the 'Keeping track of them', I doubt that."

"What do you mean by that?" Bonnie said started to get mad herself.

"I mean, us bunnies here happen to have a lot of kids. Most of us would be lucky not to lose a kid or two." Owen stated.

That saying was enough to make John, Stu, Frankie, and Bonnie even angrier than they were starting to get. It was as if Owen didn't care about his children at all.

"How can you say that?! They're your children!" Frankie said angrily. "Do you even care that they ran away from home because of you?"

"Hey! I provided them with food and shelter." Owen stated firmly. "All I needed from them was to do the work. If they can't cut it, then they don't have to stay here. After all, that's why they ran away, right?"

"They ran away because of you!" Frankie shouted in getting really mad. "Do you even realize what you did to them?! They had to live in _boxes_ , they hadn't had a decent meal in who knows how long, and one of them won't even speak."

"That so, huh?" Owen asked as he raised an eyebrow. "Well... that's their choice. They aren't my problem anymore."

The fact that he was able to even utter those words, it nearly filled John, Frankie, Stu, and Bonnie's hearts with pain and rage. How can someone who calls himself a father say something like that?"

"HOW DARE YOU?!" Frankie shouted out as she walked forward and Owen and possibly slap him.

"Easy, Frankie. Keep calm." John said holding back his wife.

"Yeah. Better watch that wife of yours." Owen said to

"You better watch it, you..." John said starting to lose his cool. He then quickly tried to calm down. "Listen, you need to treat your kids better. And I'm not talking about just May, Link, and Ivy, but ALL of them."

"Hmpt! And I suppose you consider yourself as a good dad?" Owen asked John.

"I AM a good dad." John said firmly. "I take good care of all three of my kids. My son who I'm very proud of and my baby boy and girl who I love dearly. I will do anything for my kids and I take my job seriously."

"Oh. I'm actually impressed." Owen admitted. It was almost enough for John to think he was finally getting him to understand. But that went away when he added: "I assumed most fox fathers would leave their kids and wife out to dry once things got tough."

Those words were almost enough to make John madder than he's ever been in his whole life. The same could be said about Stu, Bonnie, and Frankie.

"Now listen here, you..." Stu said walking up to Owen pointing a finger at him.

John then held back Stu.

"Stu, I can speak for myself." John said before going off on Owen. Gritting his teeth his anger. "Now listen here, you horrible excuse of a father. I don't know you know about foxes, but let me enlighten you. Fox dads are naturally one of the best dads in nature. We **love** our kids, are firm with them when we need to be, and support them when they need it. So I can say I'm a better dad than someone like you."

Owen was now the one given an angry glare at John.

"Now how about I enlighten you on rabbit dads?" Owen asked. He then looked at Stu for a second. "Hopps, I'm pretty sure you will agree with me on these." Owen then went back to facing John again. "Our job is to simply provide our children with food and shelter. We tell them the easiest job to do and also lower our kids' expectations so they don't have to try hard." Owen then looked back at Stu. "Don't you agree, Hopps?"

"..." Stu was silent as he looked down at the ground.

"Us bunnies don't just have a lot of kids because it's what bunnies do. We have a lot of kids for two main reasons. Two have someone else run the family business... and to weed out the ones who can't do the work." Owen stated.

"What?!" John, Stu, Frankie, and Bonnie went shocked to hear that.

"Farming is supposed to be one of the things that a bunny is good at. If a bunny farm in a world like this, then they are close to worthless." Owen stated.

"WORTHLESS!?" The four parents shouted out in anger.

"I can see now why your wife left you." Bonnie said angrily at Owen. "You can't just use your children as tools. They have feelings and dreams just like everyone else."

"Then can I ask why do you and Stu's reason to have so many kids? Do you actually expect them to 'try' and be something else? Do you even treat all your kids _equally_?" Owen asked. "No. We have them and tell them what they should do and convince them not to do otherwise."

Now, this was a shot to the heart for both Stu and Bonnie. They didn't want to admit it, but that's how they used to think before meeting the Wildes. This made them think "Were we raising our kids the wrong way?".

"I'm not forcing my children to stay. If they want to leave, then they can. Less trouble for me." Owen said shrugging. "The world out there is 'Eat or Be Eaten'. If they can cut simple farmwork, how can you expect them to handle any other job out there?"

Hearing enough, Stu grabbed Owen by his suspenders and glared at him angrily.

"THAT'S IT! I HAD IT WITH YOU AND YOUR BELIEFS!" Stu shouted out at Owen.

"Let. Go." Owen said firmly at Stu.

Before Stu could do anything to Owen, John lifted Stu and pulled him away. John really had to hold Stu back.

"Stu! Stu! Calm down!" John said trying his best to hold back Stu.

"Calm down?! Out of all people, **you** should be just as angry as I am." Stu said to John.

"Listen to me, Stu." John whispered. "I know how you feel. It's taking every single ounce of my being not to get my claws out and turning him into bunny bits. But you need to calm down."

Clearly, none of them were too happy with Owen's choice of words. But they couldn't just beat him up. Even if they **really** wanted to. Stu would later calm down enough for John to put him down. John now was the one to go up to Owen again. As he did, he had one paw behind his back.

"Now I don't know you go off thinking it's okay to treat your children do, but I suggest you change your way. **Now**." John said in a threatening matter.

"Thanks for the tip, **fox**. But I treat my kid how I want to." Owen stated. "As I said, if they can't cut it, they can run off. Just like the other 3."

"Tch!" Frankie went in disgust. "Everyone, let's go. There's no point in talking to someone like him anymore."

"Fine..." John said still peeved, but agreeing with his wife. "Stu, Bon, come on."

"But..." Stu said still having a few things to say.

"Let's go." John said a bit more firmly.

The four parents then walked away.

"Appreciate the visit." Owen said to them with sarcasm. "But don't come back."

It wasn't like they were intending to come back to see someone like him again. Owen then said one more thing that the parents happen to overhear.

"Bunnies befriending foxes? How dumb are they?" Owen said.

The four parents froze after hearing that.

"Just... keep walking..." Bonnie said to the others. "... before we do something we regret."

"I might do something, but I WON'T regret it." John said angrily.

The four parents keep walking all the way back to their trunk. Before driving off, John went to the Duggah's farm sign. He got his claws out and slashed at the name of the sign. He got a bit of his anger out, but not enough. The four then got on the truck and drove back to the Hopps home. All of them were silent during the whole drive. A few minutes later, they made it back to the house and stopped at the inside by the door. The parents just stood in silence until John broke it.

"I know that foxes haven't eaten bunnies in centuries, but... if I had to eat to ONE bunny, he would be on the top of that list." John said firmly.

"I'm afraid that a bunny like him wouldn't be appetizing." Frankie stated.

"If you want, I'll fancy him up for you." Bonnie told them. "I have no remorse for a man like that."

"Yeah. He a _real_ candidate for dad of the year." John said sarcastically. "What do you think, Stu?"

Stu was still silent. He then quickly ran off to somewhere else.

"Stu! Wait!" John said trying to get him to stop running. It didn't work.

"*sigh* I'll go talk with him." Bonnie said worried about her husband.

"No. Let me talk to him." John said to Bonnie. "This is kind of something for a fellow father to handle."

Since John seems to know what to say when it comes to these kinds of things, Bonnie nodded her head and agree to let John speak to Stu. John then quickly ran to catch up with him. Stu went to the kitchen he angrily went through some of the cabinets. He pulled out a short glass cup and put it down on the counter... hard. John notices all of this and knows that Stu was mad beyond words.

"Stu, bud, what are you doing?" John asked concern.

"Oh, I'm just getting myself a drink. Nothing wrong with that." Stu said in a mildly angry tone. He then pulls out a bottle of carrot bourbon.

"Stu, I know how you feel right now. I get it." John said.

"I already told you. I just need a drink." Stu said still sounding angry. He then poured the bourbon in his cup. But it wasn't really much in the bottle to begin with. It wasn't even enough to have a decent amount. This set Stu off a bit. "GAAAHHH! What was the point in keeping this bottle if it was particularly empty!"

Stu then throws the bottle and it shattered in contact with the wall.

"HEY!" John shouted out thinking that Stu was going overboard. He then walked up to Stu and grabbed his arms. "You need to ease up."

"Ease up? EASE UP?! HOW CAN I EASE UP WHEN A MONSTER LIKE THAT EXISTS IN MY TOWN, JOHNATHAN?!" Stu shouted out in anger.

"I get it. I'm angry too." John said while letting go of Stu's arms. "As I said, it took all I had not to tear him into bunny bits. "

"Well, you should have. I sure won't judge." Stu told him.

"I think you're angrier than I am." John stated. "Is there a reason?"

Stu took a deep breath before answering John.

"Am I like him?" Stu asked.

"What? No! You're nothing like that guy." John stated.

"Am I? Cause I think the two of us are similar in more way that one." Stu stated.

"How?" John asked not really believing him.

"I'm a farmer, just like him. I have a lot of kids, just like him. I tell my kids to take the easiest job and lower their kids' expectations so they don't have to try hard, just like him. Everything I ever done for my kids is just like him. JUST. LIKE. HIM." Stu stated firmly.

"Now listen here, Stuart. Yes, there are similarities between the two of you like running farms and wearing overalls. But even with those, there's **one thing** that makes you different from him."

"And what's that, Johnathan?" Stu asked.

" **LOVE!** " John shouted out. "Unlike him, you **love** your children. Maybe sometimes there's too much for some of them and too less for the others. But big or small, there's love. That... is what makes you different, Stu."

John's words did its job and finally calmed Stu down. Stu has known John for a long time and knows about his honest nature. So he wouldn't really lie about something like this.

"*sigh* Johnny, sometimes I wonder what would happen if I never opened my mind about foxes." Stu said as he places his paw on his forehead. Stu then looks at the glass on the floor from the bottle he threw. "Better clean that up."

"Right..." John said agreeing.

Stu grabbed the broom and dustpan and swiped up the broken glass and dumped it in a trash can. After that, Stu decided to fill his cup with water instead of bourbon. He took off his cap as he was ready to speak with John again.

"Feels like every time us Hopps are with you Wildes, you open our eyes to the world." Stu stated. "You all showed us a world we didn't know exist. But... you also made us realized the things we didn't realize in the world we do exist in." Stu sipped his water and then puts his glass down. "I can't believe people like Owen exist."

"I know." John said agreeing as he walks over to a cabinet and pulls out a glass for himself. He then fills it up with water from the faucet. "It makes me wonder if I'm doing my job right."

"You are, Johnny. I told you long ago that you are a good dad." Stu said.

"And I said the same thing to you, Stu." John said with a smile. He then drank some of his water. "So we shouldn't doubt ourselves as fathers."

"You're right. I'm not a thing like Owen Duggah... and I never will be." Stu said smiling at John.

"Good to know." John said happily as he patted Stu on the back.

"Still, what should we do?" Stu asked concerned. "I mean, we can't just let him get away with treating his kids that way."

"I have something in mind." John said.

"What's that?" Stu asked.

After saying that, Stu heard a recording.

 _"Now I don't know you go off thinking it's okay to treat your children do, but I suggest you change your way,_ _ **now**_ _."_

 _"Thanks for the tip,_ _ **fox**_ _. But I treat my kid how I want to. Like I said, if they can't cut it, they can run off. Just like the other 3."_

Stu's ears went up after hearing that. John then took out a carrot pen that doubles as a recorder.

"I borrow this from Judy. It's helped before and I thought it could help with this." John stated as he wiggled the pen around.

"You... recorded him?" Stu asked.

"I did. It's not much, but it's enough." John stated.

"So... what do we do with it?" Stu asked.

"We... have two choices." John told not sounding too good. "1.) We play this to the authorities and tell them what Owen is doing to his kids. They might take Owen in and he will be doing some jail time."

"However, doing that might put the kids in a tight spot. They will lose their father/legal guardian." Stu stated.

"Right..." John said knowing that would be a problem.

"What's the second choice?" Stu asked.

"2.) We do nothing." John said. "The kids will still have a father, even if he isn't much of one, and a house to live in."

"But... if we were to do that, it would mean he would still treat his kids the way he does now. And they might later grow up with a negative view on the world." Stu said in a sad tone. He then started rubbing his forehead. "Ugh... Both choices are hard. Which one is the best choice?"

"Stu, it's your choice." John told him. "What choice do you think is right?"

"My choice..." Stu said quietly.

Stu looked at his glass of water and looked at his reflection. Which choice would be the best choice? After thinking about it for a minute, the choice to make was clear. He looked at John and the two nodded at each other.

About an hour later, the sheriff of Bunnyburrow, a male ox, put Owen in cuffs and puts him in the back of his squad car. Owen was shouting in anger saying things like "You can't lock me up! Let me go!" As John and Stu watched, they felt that this was... bittersweet.

"This was the right choice." Stu said to John.

"Yeah. We just got to keep telling ourselves that." John said trying to keep his composure.

After closing the door of his car, the sheriff walked over to John and Stu.

"Ugh! That rabbit has a mouth on him." The sheriff said after getting cursed out by Owen.

"So, what's gonna happen to him?" Stu asked.

"Hard to say. With what he's been doing to his kids, he not only needs some therapy, but some time in the pen is a necessity." The sheriff stated.

"How long are we talking?" John asked.

"Well... for the obvious abuse to his kids, a few years would is common. But... that would be the cause if we are talking one or two kids. In this case, he abused **all** of his kids... and you can guess how big the number is." The sheriff stated. "So he might be a jail for a long time."

"I see." John said feeling a bit bad for Owen.

"Hey, Mr. Fox, can I ask what your name is?" The sheriff asked.

"It's John. John Wilde." John replied.

"Are you from here?" The sheriff asked.

"No. I'm from Zootopia." John replied.

"Are you a father?" The sheriff asked.

"Yes. With 3 kids." John stated.

"Mr. Wilde, Mr. Hopps, you two did the right thing." The sheriff said to the two dads. "Believe it or not, this is a common problem around these parts. Most folks here, they choose to ignore it and in the future, it turns the kids into horrible adults. They may not thank you for it now, but they will thank you in the long-run."

"Thank you, sheriff." Stu and John both said.

"Don't worry about the kids. We'll do what we can at the station for the kids." The sheriff said not wanting the dads to worry about the Duggah children.

"We'll leave it to you." John said.

The sheriff then tipped his hat and went back to his squad car to take Owen to the station. John and Stu watch the car as it drove off. The two accomplish what they needed to do. They started to feel a bit better about themselves.

A later after, John and Frankie were about to get ready to leave. But not before Bonnie gives them some blueberries from their farm. A few baskets and some jars of blueberry jam. Bonnie put them in the backseat and closed the door.

"There. That's should hold your family off for a while." Bonnie said with a smile. "Or at least a week. We know how you Wildes are."

"Thank you for the help, guys." Frankie said smiling at her friends.

"It was a pleasure just like always." Stu said with his arm around Bonnie. "It's a shame you have to leave so soon."

"Next time will be a longer and better visit. Promise." John said with a smile.

"We'll hold you to it." Stu said happily.

The four then shared a hug together before saying farewell to each other. Stu and John were already getting emotional.

"Johnny, we want you to know..." Stu said as his voice started breaking.

"Stu, stop. You know what happens every time." John said with his voice breaking as well.

"Okay, we better break them up before they break down again." Bonnie said to Frankie as she pulls Stu away.

"Way ahead of you." Frankie said agreeing with Bonnie as she pulls John away.

"Right. Well, goodbye." John said regaining his composure.

John and Frankie then opened the doors to their car.

"We'll tell Judy and Gwen you said hi." John said to Stu and Bonnie. "Unless you're gonna just call them."

"Actually..." Stu said before pausing for two seconds. "... we've called Judy and Gwen every day. We've always couldn't help worrying about them."

"But with you two and Nick there, I think we can finally stop worrying." Bonnie said smiling.

"Hmm." Frankie and John said smiling.

After that, John and Frankie started the car and started their long drive back as Stu and Bonnie waved goodbye. It was goodbye for now, but they knew it wasn't gonna be too long until they see each other again.

The next day, back at Zootopia, the Wildes, Judy, Gwen, May, Linc, and Ivy were all at the train station. May, Linc, and Ivy had bags with them.

"Do you guys really want to leave so soon?" Nick asked them. "You can stay another day if you want."

"Thanks for the offer, Nick. But we really do want to go back home." May said. "With our dad locked away, our mom has ownership and we finally get to see her again."

"May, it was good to see you again." Judy said before hugging May.

"You too, Judy." May said hugging her back.

"You all stay out of trouble." John said to the three bunnies.

"Yes, sir. We promise." Linc said looking happier than he was before.

"You all take care and come to visit anytime." Frankie said with a warm smile.

Ivy then ran up to John and Frankie. Curious about what she wanted, they lean down to her.

"Ivy, what's wrong?" Frankie asked.

"Did you need som..." John asked.

Next thing they knew, Ivy hugged the two foxes. Then... something special happened.

"Thank... you." Ivy said softly.

John and Frankie were caught off-guard that she actually spoke. It actually surprised everyone to hear her speak. John and Frankie then both smile and hugged her back.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." John said with a smile.

May then started to cry happy tears. Her sister could finally speak again. Minutes later, the Duggah kids got on the train and it started to move. Everyone waved goodbye to them until they were out of sight. Nick then slowly put his paw down as he started to look a bit sad.

"Pop..." Nick said wanting John's attention.

"Yeah, son?" John asked.

"Was... jail for their dad the **only** option? Was there no other way?" Nick asked.

John looked at Frankie before answering Nick. Frankie gave out a sad expression implying that they might as well give their son the hard truth.

"Son," John said as he places his paw on Nick's shoulder. "I taught you to always see the good in people. But sometimes... it's too late for some mammals. Things happen in their lives that they affect who they are. That was the case for May, Ivy, and Linc's dad."

"So, there's no good left in him?" Nick asked.

"Is there still good in him? I want to believe that." John admitted. "However, he needs to find that out on his own. Maybe some jail time will help him with that."

John then looked at both Nick and Judy.

"Nick, Judy, if you two are still gonna grow up to become police officers, remember this. **Any criminal** may have been good once. But things happened and lead them to a dark path. So keep that in mind when you arrest someone." John said to the two.

Nick and Judy both had their heads down. John had a good point. No one is truly born bad. Whether they become good or bad, it was ultimately up to them. John already realized that he may have given them too much to think about.

"Sorry to tell you that." John said feeling a bit bad.

"No. It's fine. Cause you're right. The sooner we know this, the better." Nick said his dad.

"Okay then." John said.

"Oh. And pop?" Nick went.

"Yeah, Nick?" John asked.

"I'm... really glad to have you as my dad." Nick said happily.

John smiled before hugging his son.

"And I'm glad to have you as my son." John said happily as he embraces his son.

Judy watched and smiled as she sees this warm and loving moment between a father and his son. It actually made her miss her own dad.

Sometime later, Nick hung out with Judy in her and Gwen's apartment. It was just the two of them. As they sat on Judy's bed, Nick went through some of the channels to see if anything was good. The two both still had depressed looks on their faces. Nick then turned off the TV.

"Judy, can we talk?" Nick asked sounding a bit serious.

"What is it?" Judy asked looking at Nick.

"Do you... still want to be a cop?" Nick asked.

"Of course I do." Judy told him. Her eyes then went down as she started to look sad. "But... I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly diminished."

"My dad's right. Everyone was good at least once. If we become cops, we'll have to take on criminals, both monsters and lesser than that." Nick stated.

"It seemed easier when we were just little kids." Judy stated.

"Nothing ever easy, I suppose." Nick said to Judy.

Judy then held on to Nick's paw.

"Nick, promise me that no matter what, you'll stay you."

Nick then kissed Judy on her forehead.

"I promise." Nick said to her.

 **Finally got off my butt and finish this chapter. Crud! Wanted to finish this in time for the Zootopia Anniversary. Oh well, a few days off isn't... too bad. Thanks for waiting for this chapter. Don't worry about having another dramatic chapter for a while. Anywho, until the next chapter.**


	10. Rainy Day

**This story has hit the 10-chapter mark. 10 chapters may not seem like much, but it says that this story has finally hit the double digits, yo. Okay, so I'm pretty sure everyone has had one of these days. You plan out this amazing thing to do one day when all of a sudden, BOOM! Rain. Thunderstorm. All of your plans, canceled. This is what is going to happen in this chapter. A rainstorm cause Nick and Judy to stay at their homes. So, what are they going to do to pass the time? Let's find out.**

* * *

BOOM! Mixed with lightning and countless droplets of rain falling to the ground, that's how it was all over the city. Looking out her window in a depressing matter was Judy. Because of the heavy rain, Judy was forced to stay inside the house today. Also in the room, was Gwen. Gwen was currently just on her laptop.

"Unbelievable." Judy said in a sad matter. "Rain. Rain was never part of our ' _Endless Summer_ ' plan. Now, we're all stuck in our houses."

"Ah yes. Rain. Ruiner of camping trips, baseball games, family picnics, and of course, summer plans." Gwen said as she typed away on her laptop. "So what were your plans with the others, Jude?"

"Picnic, actually. We're were going to have it at the park and each of us was going to bring something. Now those plans are down the drain." Judy said to Gwen looking pouty.

"You can't control the weather, sis." Gwen said.

"I know. I've tried a few times when I was little." Judy said.

Judy then went to her bed and held her fox plush as she laid down.

"*sigh* I wonder how Nick's managing?" Judy asked.

Meanwhile, Nick wasn't any happier than Judy. He was currently looking out the window of his living room. He was holding the twins as he watched the rainfall.

"Look, minis. Rain. The canceller of all outdoor plans." Nick told his baby siblings sounding depressed. "Now because of it, we're all stuck home. Not that you two get out much since you're still babies.

"Dah boh gan." Vicky babbled.

"Not my fault. Grow up and you can do whatever you want." Nick said to Vicky acting like he knew what she was saying. "But... don't grow up too fast. Don't want to be old. Like mom and pop."

"Ah ree yoo caba." Toddy babbled.

"Don't know. I just know they are old." Nick said to Toddy.

"How old do you think your father and I are, exactly?" Frankie said overhearing her son's words.

"Oh! Mom!" Nick said caught off-guard. He wasn't expecting his mother to hear him. "Uhh... I was just joking around. You not **that** old."

"Which brings me back to my question. How old do you think your father and I are?" Frankie asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Uhhhhhhhh... fffffffffffff..." Nick went about to say that her age was around 40 or 50. "...ffff fourty?"

"39, actually." Frankie stated.

"Oh. I was almost right." Nick said.

"Almost, but not quite." Frankie said.

Nick then turned back to looking at the window and the rain. It seemed like it was falling more and more with every passing second.

"*sigh* The rain's not letting up." Nick said looking depressed.

"The news said it might rain for a while." Frankie told Nick.

"What?!" Nick shouted out not too happy. "Aww man! We can't have that! It's summer! We are supposed to do stuff and have fun out in the world. You can't have fan in a rainstorm. Well, not without getting wet. Really wet."

As Nick looks out, he then sees someone in a black raincoat trying to cross the street with an umbrella that was turned inside out due to some winds. The figure looked like a fox.

"Man, look at this poor soul." Nick said to his siblings. "Bet he wishes he was inside."

"Dada!" Vicky said as she pointed at the fox in the rain.

"No, Vicky. Pop is at work and he won't be home for a few ho..." Nick said telling her baby sister that it wasn't their dad. But then Nick got a good look at the figure and noticed the fox's face did look familiar. "Wait a minute. That IS pop!"

"What?!" Frankie shouted out as she dashes to the window. She sees her husband getting soak in the rain. "I better open the door for him."

Frankie then rushes to the door and opened it up. John then came in all soaked and wet. He shook a bit to dry off. Frankie helped her husband by fixing his umbrella and putting it up. Nick walked over with the twins to see his dad.

"Johnny, what are you doing back so early?" Frankie asked.

"Ugh. We were slow due to the rain, so I decided to close the store early." John stated as he takes off his raincoat. "Great day for our car to be in the shop."

"You're soaking wet." Nick said.

"That's what rain and a crummy umbrella will do to you." John stated.

"At least you made it home." Nick said trying to make his dad feel positive.

"Yeah. Hopefully, I won't get sick." John said as he rubbed his nose.

"If you do, I'll make you some nice warm soup." Frankie said. "You always work so hard. I don't want you to overexert yourself."

John then grabbed his wife's paw. "Oh, my dear Frankie. As a loving husband and father of three, I need to do whatever I can provide for you all." John said as he smiled.

"I know." Frankie said as she held on to John's waist. "Just make sure you don't slack on your **other** duties."

"Oh, I don't intend to." John said in a flirtatious matter.

The two foxes then started to make out with each other. Nick, who hated it when his parents get all mushy, wasn't a fan of seeing this.

"What is with you two getting romantic like this in front of your kids?!" Nick asked as started walking away with the twins. "Sorry, you two had to see that. Parents can get gross sometimes and us kids can't do a thing about it."

Nick then put the twins in their playpen. Since it didn't seem like Nick wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, he turned on the TV and his game system to play some video games. He picks up a controller and sat on the floor.

"Wonder what the others are up to on this rainy day?" Nick thought.

All of Nick's friends weren't doing any better enjoying their day. Finnick was stuck in his room playing loud heavy metal music. His folks weren't too happy about it. Benji was pretty upset that they had to cancel their picnic. He had bought special doughnuts to share with everyone. Since the picnic wasn't going to happen, he decided to eat a few of the doughnuts by himself. Mervin was stuck with his older brothers since three of them came back from college for the summer. It was not a fun time for him. Falisha just read a mystery book she had in the library. Aubrey just looked at the window totally bored out of his mind. Ronnie was napping on his couch. Rain makes him sleepy. Darson just threw a blue bouncy ball around his bedroom. Lastly, Flash was... Flash. Halfway in getting ready, he didn't realize that it was raining. So he got depressed as he walked back to his room... slowly.

Back with Judy and her sister, Gwen was still on her laptop and Judy just looked up at the ceiling. She then got out her cellphone and opened it up.

"Might as well call Nick and see how he's doing." Judy said as she dials the number. She puts the phone near her ear and waited for Nick to pick up.

"Hello?" Nick answered.

"Hey, Nick." Judy said greeting her boyfriend.

"Hey, Carrots." Nick said sounding a bit happy. "Nice to hear from you. Shame that we can't meet up today."

"Yeah, and the picnic would have been so nice. Why did it have to rain?" Judy asked not sounding too happy.

"Cause rain is a ruiner of days. Sports games, fun events, camping trips, and of course, picnics." Nick stated.

"My sister said some of the same stuff." Judy replied.

"Is she with you now?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. Not like she can go anywhere else either." Judy said.

"Oh. Can you put me on speaker?" Nick asked.

"Sure." Judy said as she changes her phone to speaker. "Gwen, Nick's on speaker."

"Hey, Nicky." Gwen said greeting the fox through the phone.

"Hey, Gwenny." Nick said replying back in a cheery matter. "How are things? Found a job yet?"

"Honestly, it's harder in Zootopia. I thought I could do babysitting like back home, but it's a bit on the harder side." Gwen stated.

"Really? I think there should be plenty of parents in the city that want babysitters." Nick said.

"Not compared to the bunny parents in the burrows. They also paid better." Gwen stated. "When you have as many kids as they do in Bunnyburrow, parents tend to want a night off. Then they make the dumb choice of having more kids and I charge them more. They don't like that, but they rather pay more money than sleeping too much time with the kids."

"Uhhh... exactly how much do you get paid for babysitting?" Nick asked.

"Let's just say it helped pay for a pretty good chunk of my tuition. A VERY good chunk." Gwen said smirking.

"She's one of the smart one." Nick thought to realize that Gwen actually had a good idea of doing babysitting in Bunnyburrow for money.

"If you have so much money, why look for a job?" Judy asked Gwen.

"Cause when you are paying for college, books, and an apartment, money goes fast." Gwen stated.

"Makes sense." Judy admitted.

"If anything, I may just get a job at one of the diners in the city. I think I can handle waiting tables." Gwen said.

"Or you can do what Finn and I do. Sell popsicles. We actually make quite a bit for $200 a day." Nick stated to Gwen.

"That much? What are you gonna do with that extra cash in your piggy bank?" Gwen asked.

"I would say ' _Save it for a rainy day_.', but..." Nick said as he looking at his window and seeing that the rain wasn't letting up. "... no one really uses the money on a rainy day, do they?"

"Ha! Good one." Judy said laughing a bit. "Oh my god. I'm turning into Mervin."

"That's not a bad thing." Nick said grinning. "Okay, put me back off speaker. Nice talking to you, Gwen."

"You too." Gwen said happily be Judy switches her phone off speaker.

Judy then put her phone back in ear range as she continued chatting with Nick.

"So, anything else you want to talk about with your girlfriend?" Judy asked as she laid down on the bed.

"Well, girlfriend..." Nick said with a grin. "... due to the rain, pop came home early. He said if the rain keeps up tomorrow, he may keep it closed too. Not much people want to go out in the rain just for a suit."

"Yeah. I hear y..." Judy said.

But before she could finish what she was about to say, a large boom of thunder made both Judy and Gwen jump up.

"EEEKKKKK!" Both Judy and Gwen screamed as they jumped up and fell to the floor.

"Carrots, are you okay?" Nick asked sounding concern.

"I'm... fine." Judy said getting back up with a twitching nose. "The thunder kind of scared both me and Gwen. We're... not the biggest fans of thunder and lightning."

"Not the biggest fan at the least." Gwen added as she got back up.

"You poor little bunnies." Nick said in a sly matter. "Afraid of a little thunder?" As Nick said this, loud thunder boomed where he was. It was enough to make him jump like Judy and Gwen. "WOOOOAAHHH!"

"Nick, you alright?" Judy asked.

"Okay. I retract my last statement." Nick said regaining his composure. "Thunder is scary when it can be."

"Not so funny when it happens to you, right?" Judy asked smirking.

"Yeah yeah. Okay, you got me there." Nick admitted. "Anyway, I guess we're both stuck in our houses for the day. Maybe things will clear up tomorrow."

"We can only hope." Judy said. "Hey Nick, wanna hit the chatroom with the others in a bit?"

"Sounds good. I'll text everyone to login in about half an hour. Sounds good to you?" Nick asked.

"It does." Judy replied. "See you on the chatroom in 30."

"See you then." Nick said.

Nick and Judy both hung up. As Nick began texting the others, Judy got off her bed to walk to her sister Gwen, who was still using the computer.

"Gwen, can I use your laptop in half an hour?" Judy asked politely. "I want to hit the chatroom with the others soon."

"I heard. Sure. But I feel that you need to get your own soon. That way you don't have to keep using mine." Gwen said as she typed.

"You know I don't have the cash for that. Out of the two of us, you the one that has all the money." Judy stated firmly.

"That's right." Gwen said smiling. "I'm the one paying rent, the one who played for all the items in this room, the fo..." Gwen ears then drooped when she was about to mention food. "Oh no..."

"What?" Judy said wanting to know what was wrong with Gwen.

"Nonono!" Gwen shouted out as she dashes to their mini fridge.

When she opened it, she saw only two tiny carrots and a half-empty carton of lemonade. Their fridge was practically emptied. Both Judy and Gwen had blank expressions on their faces.

"Gwen?" Judy said.

"Yeah?" Gwen said.

"You didn't get groceries, did you?" Judy asked.

"No, I did not." Gwen answered.

"Are... you... KIDDING ME?!" Judy shouted out looking angry. "How could you forget to buy food for us?!"

"Hey! We usually don't eat much when we're here anyway. Most of the time we just go out to eat or have dinner with the Wildes. It's not my fault this is the **one** day I should have gone shopping." Gwen stated firmly.

Both Judy and Gwen's stomachs started to rumble.

"Those carrots can hold us off the whole day if we preserve it." Gwen said.

"Really, Gwen?" Judy asked as she picks up one of the carrots. It was at best, half the size of average carrots. "These would be considered small even for mice."

"Alright. Alright." Gwen said admitting it was a stupid idea. "Maybe a place can do delivery."

Gwen and Judy looked outside and see the rain was nowhere near stopping. So delivery might be difficult.

"Unless they have boats, I don't think anyone is coming." Judy stated.

"*sigh* Guess I have no choice." Gwen said. "I have to bare with the weather, go out, and buy us some groceries."

"You sure you want to do that? I mean, being in that rainstorm is close to suicide." Judy stated looking worried for her sister.

"It's my fault we don't have food. I just need to get enough to get us by for a day or two. Plus the grocery store isn't that far." Gwen stated as she gets out her rain stuff. "Go out, get in, get a few things, get out, and back in here. No problem at all."

"Easier said than done as they always said." Judy said. "Maybe you should wait for the rain to die down."

"Or... the streets will get flooded by then. I just need to be quick." Gwen said as she puts on a yellow poncho. "Unless... you want to be the one to do it."

Judy patted her sister on the back before saying "Good luck to you." implying that she did NOT want to go out there.

"*sigh* I know you were going to say that." Gwen said looking disappointed. "Fine. I can do it myself."

After putting on rainboots and picking up an umbrella, Gwen was as ready as she would ever be to go out in the rain. She said Judy could use the laptop, so long as she is careful with it. After eating one of the carrots and drinking what's left of the lemonade, Judy logs into the chatroom her friends set up. Like before, Nick's username was _WildeBoy247_. Judy's username was _Hopps4Carrots_. Ben's username was _DonutChaser14_. Mervin's username was _HowlsAtJokes100_. Finnick's username name was _ShortAndNotStoutXXX_. Falisha's username was _DaStrikingTiger_. Audran's username was _AntlerBoyFromUpNorth_. Ronnie's username was _BearyFriendlyBear_. Darson's username was _RisingMoonLotus_. The only one who didn't seem to be logged in was Flash.

 _Hopps4Carrots: Hey, everyone._

 _WildeBoy247: Hey, Carrots._

 _ShortAndNotShoutXXX: Hey, Bunny girl._

 _DonutChaser14: Can you believe the storm we're having right now?_

 _HowlsAtJokes100: Hopefully it will die down by tomorrow._

 _DaStrikingTiger: Not likely. According to the news, it's supposed to rain for the next 3 days._

 _WildeBoy247: 3 DAYS?! ARE YOU KIDDING?!_

 _DonutChaser14: D:_

 _AntlerBoyFromUpNorth: Well this is gonna do a dent our Summer plans._

 _WildeBoy247: Right?! That's too much wasted days._

 _RisingMoonLotus: Easy Nicky, we still got plenty of Summer Days left._

 _WildeBoy247: You say that now, but wait until they start selling back to school supplies_

 _BearyFriendlyBear: Nicky's right. We have to make everyday count. Rainy days make me_

The group was waiting for Ronnie to finish his response. A few seconds later, nothing.

 _ShortAndNotStoutXXX: ..._

 _DaStrikingTiger: ..._

 _WildeBoy247: Uhhh Ronnie?_

 _AntlerBoyFromUpNorth: I think he's asleep. Ronnie said rain makes him sleepy._

 _BearyFriendlyBear: I'M UP! I'M UP! Sorry. Some thunder woke me up. Hate thunder._

 _Hopps4Carrots: Right? Why does it get to be so loud?_

 _ShortAndNotStoutXXX: Complain about thunder some other time._

 _Hopps4Carrots: Fine. What else should we talk about?_

 _HowlsAtJokes100: Well, my brothers all hate being cramped in the house._

 _RisingMoonLotus: I don't blame them. I'm not a fan of staying in too long either._

 _DonutChaser14: Yeah. The weather is even bad enough that you can't even grab a bite. Good thing my mom went shopping the other day._

 _Hopps4Carrots: Wish Gwen had done that. We didn't have much food in our fridge. Guess that's what happens when you only get takeout and have dinner at other people's places._

 _WildeBoy247: What was in your fridge? Two carrots and some half a carton of orange juice?_

 _Hopps4Carrots: Nooooo. :( It was was lemonade. -_-_

 _WildeBoy247: Oh Carrots, so predictable. ;)_

 _DaStrikingTiger: What are you gonna do for food, Judy?_

 _Hopps4Carrots: Gwen went out to get groceries._

 _ShortAndNotStoutXXX: Does she have a boat or jet ski?_

 _HowlsAtJokes100: LOL_

 _DonutChaser14: Aren't you worried for Gwen?_

 _Hopps4Carrots: Of course I am. But I'm also hungry and don't want to starve._

 _BearyFriendlyBear: Fair point._

 _DonutChaser14: Very fair point._

 _DaStrikingTiger: Hope she's okay._

 _Hopps4Carrots: I'm sure she'll be okay. Wet, but okay._

 _WildeBoy247: I hope so. Barring your brothers, she's one of my favorite of your siblings._

 _Hopps4Carrots: I know._

 _HowlsAtJokes: BTW, how are you siblings? Like the twins?_

 _Hopps4Carrots: Cole and Connor are still good the last time I checked with them. Mostly gaming these days._

 _DaStrikingTiger: How about the gang from Bunnyburrow?_

 _Hopps4Carrots: I spoke with Sharla recently, but only her. She already told everyone else about Nick and I._

 _WildeBoy247: Kinda guessed she would._

 _ShortAndNotStoutXXX: Bet they are still peeved at you for not seeing them when you were at Bunnyburrow, Nick._

 _WildeBoy247: I was trying to see my girlfriend. :(_

 _ShortAndNotStoutXXX: Not a good excuse, bro._

 _AntlerBoyFromUpNorth: He's not wrong. You could have at least seen one of them. Like Gideon._

 _WildeBoy247: I know. I know. I'll make it up to all of them next time I see them._

 _DaStrikingTiger: Maybe we'll come with you too. There are friends too._

 _AntlerBoyFromUpNorth: Even if we're not the Zoo-Burrow Scouts anymore, we're all still friends, no matter what._

 _Hopps4Carrots: Right. Friends to the end._

 _WildeBoy247: Say, when's the last time you heard from Gid, Carrots?"_

 _Hopps4Carrots: He's supposed to be in some Summer Camp right now. He won't be back for another 2 weeks. But there was something that Sharla said that Gideon said that she wanted me to pass on to you. He said "The next time City Boy's in town and decides not to pay me a visit, he can expect not to get any blueberry pies from me. Only rhubarb."_

 _WildeBoy247: Nooooo! I hate rhubarb. T-T_

 _ShortAndNotStoutXXX: HAHAHAHA!_

 _AntlerBoyFromUpNorth: LOL_

 _HowlsAtJokes: ROFL_

 _WildeBoy247: STOP USING LETTERS TO LAUGH! :(_

 _Hopps4Carrots: Easy, Nicky. Just remember to visit him and you won't have to deal with rhubarb._

 _WildeBoy247: I'll remember. Seriously, I am NOT a fan rhubarb._

 _DonutChaser14: It's fine. So long as it's with strawberries._

 _WildeBoy247: Strawberries are good, but I rather not have them with Rhubarb._

 _Hopps4Carrots: You foxes, so picky._

 _WildeBoy247: I resent that._

 _ShortAndNotStoutXXX: I resent that too._

 _BearyFriendlyBear: Hey, did you guys notice that Flash hasn't logged in yet._

 _WildeBoy247: I texted him. But..._

 _HowlsAtJokes: It's Flash._

 _Hopps4Carrots: It's Flash._

 _DaStrikingTiger: It's Flash._

 _WildeBoy247: Yeah._

 _SpeedKingOfTheCity has joined the chatroom._

 _SpeedKingOfTheCity: Hello._

 _WildeBoy247: Flash! Bout time._

 _ShortAndNotStoutXXX: Came in a bit late. We're all close to signing off._

 _SpeedKingOfTheCity: Sorry._

 _Hopps4Carrots: It's okay. You can just scroll up and view what you missed._

 _AntlerBoyFromUpNorth: Anyway, let's all hope the rain stops soon and we don't have to wait 3 days, eh?_

 _BearyFriendlyBear: Yeah. We don't want to put any more plans on hold._

 _WildeBoy247: Don't worry guys. Endless Summer for us is still happening for us._

 _Hopps4Carrots: Right. Let's not let one rainy day ruin things for us._

 _DaStrikingTiger: Agreed._

 _WildeBoy247: Alright, everyone. That's all for now. Talk to you all later._

 _Hopps4Carrots: Bye, everyone._

 _ShortAndNotStoutXXX: Peace out._

 _AntlerBoyFromUpNorth: Later._

 _DonutChaser14: Byeeeeee!_

 _DaStrikingTiger: Chat with you more next time._

 _BearyFriendlyBear: Later, guys._

 _RisingMoonLotus: See ya._

 _SpeedKingOfTheCity: Goodbye._

The chat ends and everyone turns off their respected computers. After finishing his chat, Nick got up from his chair and went over to the twins' playpen. He sees the two are both napping on the floor. If there was one thing he loved, it's being a big brother to his baby brother and sister.

"Todd, Vicky, your big brother is lucky to have a lot of good friends. I hope you have a lot of amazing friends like me one day." Nick thought with a smile.

At that moment, a loud boom of thunder roared. It was loud enough to wake up the twins and make them start crying.

"WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Todd and Vicky cried.

"Aww man!" Nick said with a scared expression.

"IS THAT THE BABIES?!" Frankie shouted from upstairs sounding concerned.

"ARE THEY OKAY?!" John shouted from upstairs also sounding concerned.

"I GOT EM! DON'T WORRY!" Nick shouted out to his parents. He then picks up the twins and attempts to make them stop crying. "Now now, minis! Don't cry. Bubba's got you."

Meanwhile, Judy closed Gwen's laptop. But now she was just wondering when Gwen was going to show up.

"Where is she? I thought Gwen would be back by now." Judy thought looking worried. Judy then hears some loud knocking on the door. "That's got to be her."

Judy then opened the door. It was Gwen all soaking wet from head to toe with a big white plastic bag of groceries. Her umbrella was missing.

"Oh my god! Gwen!" Judy shouted out not realizing how soaked she would be.

"I am NEVER forgetting to go grocery shopping ever again." Gwen said firmly.

Gwen quickly came into the room and Judy help with the grocery.

"What happened? I thought it was going to be a quick trip." Judy said.

"Me too. But apparently, I wasn't the only one that didn't have food at their home." Gwen stated looking peeved. "Also, many mammals used the store as shelter from the rain. Not only that, I had to punch an old guy for a jar of pickles."

"Jeez, really?" Judy asked looking a bit surprised as she put some of the groceries in the mini-fridge, including said pickle jar.

"Yeah. But it was worth it. Cause now we have food." Gwen said proudly.

"Did you buy any juice or soda?" Judy asked. "Cause I don't see any."

Gwen froze before putting her head down. She may have bought food, but she didn't buy any drinks.

"I'm not going back out there." Gwen said firmly.

"But what if we get thirsty?" Judy asked.

"Then drink rainwater!" Gwen said angrily.

"Okay." Judy said not wanting to make her sister any angrier.

Just your typical rainy day.

 **Okay. You can't say I haven't posted a chapter now. Ugh! Almost two months without a new chapter. I really need to slap myself for taking this long. Better extremely late than never. Don't worry, I've already started doing the next chapter. Hopefully, I won't take too long for it. No real promises, but I will do my best. Til the next chapter.**


	11. Big Bubba Nick

**This is gonna be another one of those cute chapters. A few people have asked me to do a chapter with the twins. Well, here's that chapter. Nick and his friends are going looking after Todd and Vicky for the day. It's also going to have a flashback before they were born. Pretty sure a LOT of you will love this chapter. To be honest, this chapter was supposed to be the chapter after. But this chapter was easier to work with than that one. So I went with this one being chapter 11 instead of 12. I will do the actual intention chapter for the next chapter. Would like to say more, but I really want to just start up the chapter. So, let's get to it.**

* * *

At the Wilde's home, while his parents were away, Nick was at home watching over the twins, Todd and Vicky. But he wasn't doing this alone. With him was his girlfriend, Judy, and his other friends, Benji, Finnick, Mervin, Darson, and Falisha were with him. Ronnie, Audran, and Flash were all busy with their own things to join. They all sat down in a circle surrounding the twins Benji was the one currently playing with the twins by making goofy faces to make the twins laugh.

"Awwww! Toddy and Vicky are soooooooo adorable." Benji said as he squishes his chubby cheeks.

"Well, they are the kids of John and Frankie Wilde. Like me, they had to get their _adorableness_ from somewhere." Nick said proudly.

"That's not the only thing they have you like, Nick." Judy stated as she holds Vicky and looks at the little pup with a smile. "You're gonna grow up to be a lot like your brother, aren't you?"

"Just hope they don't get everything from their brother." Finnick said with crossed arms. "Like that signature grin that Nick's famous for." Finnick then looked at Todd. To him, for nearly a second, Todd gave Finnick a look as if he was given him a sly grin. This made Finnick jump a bit. "See? See? Todd just gave **that** grin!" Finnick said while pointing at the baby tod. "The same grin like his big brother!"

The others looked at Todd but only saw a normal baby fox just sucking his thumb.

"Dude, I think you're overreacting." Mervin stated.

"Hey! I'm not lying!" Finnick said firmly.

"Just don't overthink it, Finn." Falisha said as she picks up Todd and tickles his face. "How can you stay mad at this face?"

Todd then bit Falisha's finger. His bite was starting to get a little stronger.

"Oww!" Falisha shouts out as she pulls her finger away from Todd.

"Oh. Sorry! Toddy's still a bit bitey." Nick said

"Todd!" Falisha said looking a bit mad. "Bad!"

Todd then started to look very upset. Like he was about to cry. Seeing this, Falisha instantly did not want that to happen.

"Oh. It's okay. Fal-Fal forgives you. Fal-Fal loves you." Falisha says as she cuddles Todd's face.

Todd looked better and very happy. The others looked at Falisha with an "Mmm-Mmm." as they shook their heads.

"What? I told you. You can't stay mad at this face." Falisha stated as she held up Todd.

"Don't I know it?" Nick asked. "It's how they usually avoid trouble."

"Maybe you could learn a thing or two from them." Darson said with a smirk.

"Oh come on. I don't get into trouble... much... anymore." Nick said admitting that he has done a few crazy things once or twice in his life.

"And we usually come along for the ride." Finnick stated.

"And you love it." Nick said with a smile.

"This is true." Finnick admitted.

"Hey, guys. Can you put the minis down? I want to show you guys something." Nick said. Falisha and Judy put Todd and Vicky. Nick then called out to his siblings. "Toddy, Vicky, come to your big brother for a bit."

Todd and Vicky then stood up and started walking to Nick. Since they were still babies, their walking was still a bit wobbly. They stopped in front of Nick.

"As you can see, the minis are already pretty smart. Let me show you how much." Nick said to his friends. He then looked down at the twins. "Toddy, Vicky, we're gonna play a little game. I'm gonna point at one of my friends. Guess my friends' names and you get a prize. Sound good?"

Todd and Vicky responded by clapping. A sign that they like the game. Nick then picked them both up and placing them on his knees.

"Okay then." Nick said before pointing at Judy. "Vicky, your brother's girlfriend, the bunny over there, her name is..."

"JuJu!" Vicky answered.

"Very good." Nick said happily.

"Awwwwwww!" Judy went feeling happy that Vicky calls her that.

Nick then pointed at Benji and said "Todd, the big chubby cheetah is...".

"Ben-Ben!" Todd answered.

"Very good." Nick said happily.

"Awwwwwwww." Benji said feeling that his heart was melting.

Nick then pointed at Falisha and said "Vicky, the white tiger over there is...".

"Fal-Fal!" Vicky answered.

"I love her so much." Falisha whispered to herself as she places her right paw where her paw is.

"Todd, the hyena that's always laughing is..." Nick said while pointing at Mervin.

"Merv-Merv!" Todd replied.

"Seriously, I will trade you **ALL** my brothers for him." Mervin said liking Todd a bit more than his own brothers.

"I already told you, no trades." Nick said to Mervin.

"Psst! They're not really calling us by our names. Just the first part and say it twice." Finnick stated with his arms crossed.

"Finn, it's still impressive." Judy said.

"I'll be more impressed when they can say a full sentence." Finnick said. Seemed like he wasn't fazed by the babies cuteness.

"Todd, Vicky, the short and usually angry one's name is..." Nick asked the twins.

"Finn-Finn!" Both Todd and Vicky went.

Even someone with Finnick's toughness couldn't help but have his heart melted by the twin's cuteness.

"If anyone ever hurts you two, I will personally hunt them down for you." Finnick said being like a bodyguard. Finnick then looked at the others who were giving him a sly grin. Finnick looked a bit embarrassed. "See what they do to me?"

"Very good, you two." Nick said to Todd and Vicky as he patted their heads. He then put them down to the floor. "You two wait here while I get your prize."

Nick then left the living room leaving the others to watch the twins.

"He didn't ask them who I was." Darson thought looking a bit disappointed.

"The twins have really grown in more ways than one since I first saw them." Judy said.

"Well, you only saw them during the first couple of months since they were born. You missed out on a whole year of growing." Falisha stated.

"I know. I'm upset about it." Judy said looking a bit disappointed. "Nick showed me a picture of them on their 1st birthday."

"The one with them having blueberry filling all over their face?" Benji asked.

"That's the one." Judy said nodding.

"Oh, yes. I love that one." Benji said with a smile.

"What is it with parents taking pictures of their babies with food all over their face?" Darson asked.

"Right?" Mervin asked agreeing. "My parents took pictures of me and all my siblings with frosting, pie filling, or baby food all over our faces."

"Mine too." Falisha said.

"Not mine." Finnick said sounding like he was boasting a bit since he was the only one without an embarrassing baby picture.

"How does that make you feel?" Judy asked.

"Pretty... disappointed at my parents." Finnick admitted with a mildly angry face.

"Knew it." Mervin said.

"Anyway, since I'm here for the whole Summer, I don't want to miss any more of the twins' big moments." Judy said with a smile.

After she said that, Judy went to look at the twins. But when she and the others turned around, they were nowhere to be seen.

"Toddy, Vicky?" Judy said looking left and right. They didn't see them either. Judy's ears then drooped. "Oh no! We didn't keep an eye on them!"

Nick then came back into the room with a cookie jar.

"Ummm... where are the minis?" Nick asked.

"Nick, don't freak out... but..." Judy said calmly.

"THE TWINS DISAPPEARED!" Benji shouted out starting to freak out.

"Aw jeez. Not again." Nick said not sounding as freaked out as he should be.

"Again?!" Everyone else shouted out.

"You mean this has happened before?!" Judy asked.

"Yeah. I should have warned you. They were speed crawlers. Take your eyes away for a second and they could disappear on you. Looks like they are now going up to speed trotters." Nick told them. "Hmm. I just gave them their bath, so their scents are gonna be hard to get."

"Then what do we do?" Judy asked still freaking out.

"Relax. I just need to give them their prize and they give them a reason to come to us." Nick said. He then tried to call out to the twins. "Toddy, Vicky, you forgot your prize. A big hug from your bubba?" The twins didn't come out for Nick's offer. Seeing that, Nick knew he had to give them their **real** prize. He then pulls out a cookie from the cookie jar he is holding. "Or... a nice chocolate chip cookie."

From behind the big window curtains, out came Todd and Vicky happily walking to Nick.

"Oh! There they are!" Benji said pointing at the two little fox cubs.

"They never take the hug." Nick said as he shook his head.

After putting them on their stools so they wouldn't run off again, Nick gave the twins their cookies and they happily munched on them.

"You seem to really have this 'big brother' thing locked." Judy said.

"Well, between the younger siblings in your family and what you taught me, I think that's safe to say." Nick stated. "I'm really just doing what comes naturally to me."

"You are a really good brother." Judy said.

"I'm glad I am. To be honest, I was a nervous wreck before and when they were born." Nick admitted.

"Really?" The others went.

"Really." Nick said while nodded.

"So when did you stop getting so nervous?" Falisha asked.

"Guess it started a few months before they were born." Nick said.

He then started flashbacking to two years ago. His mother, Frankie, was sitting on the couch with her paws on her pregnant stomach and humming. Popping out from the hallway door was a younger Nick around 11.

 _Mom was about 6... 7 months in on her pregnancy. During that time, I already got a taste of mom's... craziness. So, I kept my distance when I was near her. But it wasn't like I could hide from her. She is my mom after all._

"Oh, Nicky." Frankie said noticing her son. "Come over here, sweetie."

"Uhhh... you're not gonna yell at me as you did with pop the last couple of weeks, are you?" Nick asked looking a bit scared.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm pretty sure my mood swings are gone for now." Frankie stated. She then patted on an empty spot on the couch. "Now, come on. Sit with mommy."

 _Part of me felt that it was a trap. But she was my mom. I just had to be careful around her. I sat by my mom on the couch. I looked down at her belly. It was like looking at a melon. A melon that had two little fox cubs inside._

"So, are you excited to be a big brother?" Frankie asked. "It won't be long now."

"Well... I know I was excited at first. But now that the day is getting closer and closer, I'm feeling more and more nervous." Nick told his mom. "I mean, I'm gonna be a big brother. I was so used to being an only child. Now I'm gonna have two siblings. That's a pretty big change from my usual life. How do I handle something like that?"

 _Mom then wanted me to come closer to her._

"Put your paws on my belly." Frankie said to Nick.

"What?!" Nick shouted out as he stepped back. "No! I'm not touching my mom's tum! That's just so weird!"

"Just do it... or you will upset your mother." Frankie told him.

 _You know my mom is not one person that you want to upset. So I did what she asked. I got close to mom and then nervously placed my paws on her belly. It felt like I was touching a basketball._

"This... still feels weird to me." Nick said to his mother.

"Feel anything?" Frankie asked.

"Nothing rea..." Nick said but before he could finish that sentence, he felt a small kick from his mother's stomach. "*gasp* I think I felt a kick!" Nick then felt another kick. "And another!"

"You kicked around a lot when I was pregnant with you. You were quite restless." Frankie said with a smile. Frankie then placed Nick's head on her belly. "Now, listen."

 _Mom placed my head on her stomach and I listened. That's when I heard them. Two heartbeats. They were very faint, but I heard them. I don't know what it was, but hearing those tiny heartbeats filled my heart with wonder._

"There are two new lives inside me right now. One day, when they are ready, they gonna be out in the world. It may be scary for them, but being Wildes, they can handle it." Frankie said. "They also will have a good big brother to look after them. You're a good boy, Nick. So I have no doubt that you will be a great brother to them."

 _After hearing that mom believe that I would be a good big brother, I believed in myself too._

"I'll be the best big brother to them, mom. I promise." Nick said looking up at his mom with a big smile.

 _That was when I was ready to be a big brother. After that, I went to talk to pop about it. Suitopia was still just opening, but he still likes to use the basement as his workshop. He was doing his usual thing. Finishing up one of his suits for a client._

"Hey, pop. You busy?" Nick asked.

"Yes, but you know I always have time for you." John said as he stops working on his sewing and turns to his son. "What do you need, my boy?"

"I felt the babies kick. And then I heard their heartbeat." Nick said excitedly.

"You did, huh? There was an amazing feeling inside you, wasn't there?" John asked. "I remember when you were still inside your mother's belly. She said you were quite restless."

"So I've been told." Nick said. "Pop, can I ask you something?"

"What do you need?" John asked.

"It's ummm... an awkward thing to ask." Nick said looking a bit flustered. "I... know for the first 9 months, mom carried me. But... exactly how did you contribute to me being born?"

 _After I asked him that, pop just looked at me with this frozen expression. He then waited 5 seconds before responding to me._

"Well Nick, I do believe you are old enough to have 'the talk' with." John said.

"Didn't we already had 'the talk'?" Nick asked.

"This one... will be different." John said looking a bit nervous. "Okay. It's gonna be hard to start this. But here goes."

Ending the flashback and getting back to Nick and the others, Nick had a disturbed expression on his face.

"All my innocence that day." Nick said to his friends.

"Ooooooooh... yeahhhhh..." Everyone else went knowing what Nick was talking about.

"Seriously, if I knew THAT was how having a baby works, I would have never asked." Nick said still looking shaken by the thought.

"Tell me about it." Judy said understanding how Nick felt. "You wanna know what my parents did? They sat a group of us down in the living room. The kids around 10 and 12. After they had 'the talk' with us, we all ran out screaming."

"I can see that." Finnick and Mervin both said.

"You don't know how horrifying it was to realize that your parents had to..." Judy said trying not to think about it too much. "It's the **reason** why we had that new rule. There was already enough of us. We didn't know how, but we really didn't **want** to know how."

"I finally understood what mommy-daddy time meant." Nick said.

"You too?" Mervin asked. "Mom and Dad always dragged my brothers and me out for hours every once in a while. My first three older brothers knew why, but I and my other 2 brothers didn't. Then one day when my dad gave me 'the talk', I did not laugh that whole day."

"Wow. That's like a month in your terms." Nick stated.

"Man, I remember when my pops had 'the talk' with me." Finnick said. "Just describing that he had to..."

Before Finnick said anything else, Nick covered Todd's ears while Judy covered Vicky's.

"HEY! WHOA WHOA WHOA!" Nick shouted out.

"Not in front of the twins!" Judy shouted out.

"Dudes, they're just babies. They won't understand or remem..." Finnick said. But before he could finishing talking, the others gave him a look. Each of them knew that the babies were both pretty smart. So Finnick decided not to say anything further. "Fine. I'd rather not talk about it anyway."

"Thank you." Nick said as he moves his paws away from Toddy's ears. Judy did the same for Vicky. "Babies or not, they are still very impressionable."

"Right. Right. This is why I am glad to be an only child." Finnick said.

"Don't rub it in." Mervin said to Finnick.

"Hey. Being an only child isn't as great as it looks." Darson said. "I would have loved having a brother or sister as Nick does." Darson then walked up to the twins and patted their heads with a smile. "Having a single parent and no siblings is lonely, ya know?"

"We know, Darson. We all know how rough things were for you." Nick said.

"Yeah. They **were** rough. But not anymore." Darson said with a smile at Nick.

Darson owns most of his happiness thanks to Nick, Judy, and the others. And he won't forget that. Nick then took Vicky out of her high chair.

"Alright, how about we watch some TV?" Nick asked his friends.

"Yeah. Sounds good." Judy said liking the idea.

Nick then went to Todd and took him out of his high chair. Instead on carrying Todd in his arms like Vicky, Nick carried Todd by grabbing him by the neck... with his mouth. Judy was freaking out a bit, while the others didn't seem fazed by this.

"Woah! Nick, should you really be carrying Toddy like that?!" Judy asked frantically.

"Relax." Nick said while Todd's neck was still around his mouth. "It's very common for foxes to carry cubs like this. Mom and Pop used to carry me like this all the time when I was a baby. It's in our fox nature."

"Not just foxes. It's in most predator's nature." Benji stated.

"It's true." Falisha said.

"Mm-hmm." Finnick said.

"Oh." Judy said.

"Besides, Toddy likes it." Nick said.

Todd looked pretty fine with the way he was being carried. In fact, it looked like he liked it. After walking back to the living room, Nick put Todd and Vicky down as they watched some TV. Nick sat on the couch with Finnick, Judy, Todd, and Vicky. Benji, Mervin, Falisha, and Darson sat on the ground beside the couch. They basically just channel surf. Benji was the one with the remote.

"Just make sure you pick something appropriate for the minis." Nick told Benji.

"I know. I'll just set it to the weather." Benji suggested. "If we are going to have another 3 rainy days, I want to be ready."

"Good call." Finnick said giving Benji a thumbs up.

Benji stopped at the weather channel. From what the gang could see, it was going to be sunny all week.

"Looks like we are good with weather." Falisha said.

"Nice." Mervin said sounding happy.

"Hear that, you two. The sun's going be here all week." Nick said to his siblings.

"Yaaa!" Todd and Vicky said while clapping.

"Seems like the twins really understand you." Judy said to Nick.

"I think it's more that I know what to say to them. That... and they both love their brother." Nick said. Nick then looked down at his siblings and picked up Todd. "You do love your brother, right?"

"Bubba." Todd went as he reached out for Nick's muzzle.

"Bubba!" Vicky went as she tugged at Nick's shirt.

"Just checking. Bubba loves you too." Nick said to them with a smile.

"Quick question. Why do they always call you _bubba_?" Darson asked.

"Oh. _Bubba_ is their way of calling me _brother_." Nick explained. "You already noticed that they tend to call people by the first part of their name twice. Judy is JuJu. Benji is Ben-Ben. ETC. But for me, it was just Nick. No Nick-Nick. Just Nick." Nick felt a bit mad about that. "Anyway, one day, when they were starting to learn words, I asked them to call me brother. Instead, they called me bubba." Nick said while laughing. "I like it, so I don't mind them calling me that."

"It's a cute nickname." Judy stated.

"Like you, my equally cute hun-bun." Nick said with a smile.

"You only get a pass because you're my boyfriend." Judy said with a sly grin.

"And that is the absolute best reason why we are together." Nick said smiling at Judy. He then put both Todd and Vicky on his knees. "Anyway, Todd and Vix can call me bubba as much as they want. I love the nickname almost as much as I love my baby brother and sister."

Nick then hugged his baby brother and sister.

"Awwww!" Judy, Falisha, and Benji went.

"Well, you already do a good job, _bubba_." Darson said with a smile.

"You, don't call me that. Only the minis." Nick said firmly.

"Fine, Nicky." Darson said.

"Are you done?" Finnick asked as he rolled his eyes. He then takes the remote from Benji. "What else is on?" He clicks the remote and stops at an action flick. "OOOOH! Crash and Bam is on! I love this movie!"

"Dude! What did I just say about something appropriate for the minis?" Nick asked a little mad.

"Ehh. It's about time for their nap anyway." Finnick said not wanting to change the channel. "Just put them in their pen."

"*sigh* You're lucky I like this movie too." Nick said to Finnick.

After watching the movie, it was time for the others to start heading home. They said goodbye to Nick and said that they would see him tomorrow. Judy said goodbye to Nick last, but not before kissing him goodbye on the cheek. She also gave Todd and Vicky kisses on their foreheads. She then went off to her and Gwen's apartment.

Nick was now by himself with the twins. He put them back into their pen and watches the two play with each other. He started imaging them getting older and doing what he did when he was 9. Having fun, enjoying things while they're young, and having a bunch of friends. The perfect life just like has. But Nick kept thinking would they really be able to have a life as he did?

"Either way, I'll be there for them when I need me." Nick thought. Nick's stomach then grumbled. "I need a snack."

Nick goes into the fridge and gets out a basket of blueberries to snack on. Sitting on the couch, he pops a few in the air and catches it with his mouth. The twins see this and look like they want a few.

"Bobos!" Vicky uttered.

"Sorry. You two had already had your snack for the day." Nick said to them.

"Bobos!" Todd said sounding a bit forceful.

"Nope. Still not giving you any. Not after last time." Nick said firmly as he eats a few more blueberries. Then he got hit in the head with Todd's teething ring. "Owww!" Nick shouted out as he rubbed his head. "Oh. Real mature, Todrick. Real mature."

Which goes to show, even if there's love, that doesn't mean it's always easy for Nick being a big brother. Faaaaaaaar from it.

 **Finally finished another chapter. For some reason, I always feel so accomplished when I finish a chapter. To be honest, I wrote this whole chapter within 4 days. Which goes to show what I can do when I have a decent few days off and not playing the PS4. Anyway, already working on the next chapter. I would say it won't take that long, but who am I kidding? Also, I do have other stories to work on. That's all for now. Until the next chapter.**


	12. Pool Day

**It's time to begin chapter 12. Do you know those hot Summer days? Those REALLY hot Summer days? The days that make you want to die? That's what this chapter is about. There's a massive heatwave going around the city and the kids are having a hard time beating the heat. So what do they do? Take a dip in the pool. The gang is gonna go on a pool trip to beat the heat. When I was a kid visiting my grandparents on a weekly basis, my brother and I used to go to the pool all the time. It was a good way to cool off. So let's see if Nick, Judy, and the others can cool off.**

* * *

Current temperature in Zootopia: REALLY REALLY HOT! The city was getting hit with a major heatwave. Not just one part, but the whole city. Even Tundratown. The gang was brave enough to go out in the heat. They sat outside a nice cafe listening to music on a radio. The teens all had shorts, short sleeve shirts, or undershirts on. Nick groaned as he sat on his chair with his head up. Judy tried to fan herself with a paper menu. Falisha tried cooling off by drinking a glass of lemonade. Benji had his head on the table looking exhausted. Finnick groaned as much as Nick. Mervin was panting heavily with a rag over his head. Audran and Ronnie tried to distract themselves from the heat by playing paper football. Flash pointed an electric pocket fan at his face. Lastly, Darson rubbed ice over his face. None of the kids were a fan of this hot day.

"Ugggggggghhhhhh... it's so hoooooooooot!" Judy said while still fanning herself.

"It's Summer. We were bond to get a super hot day sooner or later." Nick told Judy while still groaning.

"According to the weather, it's the hottest day of the year." Falisha stated.

"UGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Everyone else groaned in discontent.

"This heat sucks!" Nick stated.

"No kidding." Darson said as he rubs more ice over his fur. He then looks at Ronnie and Audran playing paper football. "Is that really helping you beat the heat?"

"Is this getting our minds off the heatwave?" Ronnie asked as he flicked the paper football.

It hits Audran in his forehead. Audran didn't really seem faced by it.

"Nope. Not even a little, eh." Audran said firmly.

Mervin was panting heavily like a dog and Falisha was getting a bit annoyed.

"Merv, do you have to pant like that?" Falisha asked.

"I don't know. Does it have to be a billion degrees today?" Mervin said a bit smugly. "Maybe if you share some lemonade, I'll..."

Before Mervin could even finish his sentence, Falisha quickly gulped down and finished her lemonade. Implying that she didn't want to share. Mervin didn't look happy.

"You know you could have no." Mervin said looking mad. "And on that note..." Mervin went back to panting heavily.

While seem to be affected by the heat like everyone else, at least he had a pocket fan to keep him cool. Finnick looked at Flash.

"Flash, how about sharing that fan of yours." Finnick said to the sloth.

"Not... a... chance,... Finnick." Flash replied.

"Come on. I'm a desert fox. But even this is too much." Finnick said.

"I... said... no." Flash said firmly.

"I said give it!" Finnick said angrily. He then tried to take Flash's pocket fan. He had no luck what so ever. It didn't even look like Flash was really fazed. Apparently, sloths have a tight grip. "Jeez! You're stronger than you look."

"I would normally laugh at this, but the heat has also taken away my laughter." Mervin stated.

"Finn, why didn't you just make some pawpsicles like you and Nick usually do? This literally would have been the perfect time to have some." Ronnie stated.

"Don't you think I know that?" Finnick asked as he stopped trying to take Flash's fan. "But here's the thing. Even Tundratown is feeling the effects of this. So much, that the cool systems are shot."

"Uggggggghhhhh..." Everyone else went. This meant they could really go to Tundratown to cool off.

"And then when I made the pawpsicles, the time I got out of Tundratown, they all melted." Finnick said looking unhappy.

"UGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Everyone else went even more upset.

"Of course they did. Cause it's soooo hot." Nick said very unhappy. He continues to mope as he put his head down on the table. "Someone change the station."

Judy turned the knob on the radio to change the station as Nick requested. She stopped when she heard some radio DJ.

" _Hellooooooooo, Zootopia! This is 98.2: The Z. The hottest radio in the city. Playing the most sizzling songs in the city."_ The DJ said. The gang groaned after hearing all the hot-related words. " _Today's a scorcher with temperatures at a whopping 104 degrees."_ Once again, the gang groaned. " _Wow! Hottest day ever! If you're not in a place with excellent A/C, then I recommend doing something to cool off. One thing, is going down near Herd St. in Downtown Zootopia to go to the opening of the new..."_ For the next thing that the teens were about to hear, it was like it was in slow motion. "... _**indoooooor pooooooool.**_ "

The gang immediately stopped what they were doing with widen eyes. The keywords that they all heard. Indoor pool. A pool that wasn't just filled with cool water to swim in, but indoors. Meaning no need to deal with the crazy heat from the outside. After looking at each other, the kids all knew that they had the same idea.

"LET'S GO TO THE NEW POOL!" Everyone shouted out as they slammed their paws on the table.

"SWIMSUITS! WE NEED SWIMSUITS!" Judy shouted out.

"BACK TO OUR PLACES! MEET UP LATER!" Nick shouted.

"BREAK!" Everyone said as the clapped in a circle.

Everyone then dashed off to their respected homes to get swimsuits, towels, and other stuff for their day at the pool. After running, Nick made it to his home and open quickly opened the door. The tod was practically out of breath. John and Frankie noticed as they walk over to Nick.

"Nicky?" Frankie said.

"Are you okay, son?" John asked.

Nick was too exhausted to even answer his parents. Instead, he once again dashed this time to the kitchen, opened up the fridge and took out a nice cool water bottle. After closing the fridge, he quickly starts drinking the bottle. John and Frankie could guess that the heat has made Nick thirsty.

"Uhhh... thirsty, I see." John said a bit awkwardly. "Exactly wha..."

Before John could say anything, Nick had one of his fingers up as he wanted to have a moment to finish his water. After drinking the bottle dry and his thirst quenched, Nick was ready to speak with his folks.

"SuperHot!NewPool!Indoors!NeedTrunks!" Nick said super speedy.

Nick then quickly dashed to the stairs as he passes the twin's playpen and quickly said "Hi, minis!" to his baby brother and sister. He went up the stairs to get some things from his room. His parents still looked confused.

"Did you get any of that, honey?" John asked.

"Something about 'Super Cool Trucks'? I think." Frankie said.

Meanwhile, Judy made to her and Gwen's apartment. Gwen was trying to be the heat by stand in front of their isolating fan. Judy just walked inside.

"Hey, sis!" Judy said as she closes the door.

"Hey. If you wanna share this fan, the answer's no." Gwen said feeling too hot to wanna more.

"It's fine. I'm going back out anyway." Judy stated as she goes through the drawer. "Where are they?"

"You're going back out in this heat?" Gwen asked surprised. "Good luck to you."

"We heard that there a new pool opening up so we are all gonna head there." Judy said as she packed a few items in a blue tote bag. "Best part, the pool is indoor."

"Indoor pool?" Gwen asked sounding like her interest had peaked.

"Yep!" Judy said as she stands up with her bag. "Gotta hurry. See ya, Gwen."

Judy then dashed out of the door.

"Wait! Wait! Where's the..." Gwen said considering in coming with her. But it was too late. Judy had already left the room. "... and she's gone. I could go after her, but..." It was still hot and Gwen really didn't really want to break a sweat. "Ugh... too hot for that."

During this time, Mervin was getting stuff for the pool from his house. Unlike Nick or Judy, Mervin was being discrete about heading to the pool. He didn't want his brothers to know about his pool day. He quickly went up to his room, got a triangle bag and stuff it with things for the pool. Little did he knew, someone was behind him.

"Hey, Mervy!" A young girl said.

"WAAAHH!" Mervin shouted out a bit freaked out.

Mervin turned around to see who it was. It was a young girl hyena that was no older than 4. She wore a yellow and white striped shirt with a flower on it and blue jean shorts. This was Mervin's little sister, Melody.

"M... Mel! Heeeey, baby sister." Mervin said nervously.

"Whatcha doing?" Melody asked curiously.

"Uhhh... nothing." Mervin replied not wanting to really tell his sister about the pool.

"Then what's that?" Melody asked while pointing at Mervin's swim trunks.

"Oh! These?" Mervin said while holding up his black trucks. At that point, there was no point in lying to his little sister. "*sigh* Okay, Melody. I'll tell, but keep this a secret. Kay?"

"Kay." Melody said as she walked up to Mervin.

"I'm heading to the pool that just opened up. But you have to keep this a secret and NOT tell our brothers. Got it?" Mervin said to his sister.

"Kay." Melody replied.

"Promise?" Mervin said.

"Promise." Melody said.

Mervin then booped Melody's nose. Whenever Mervin told his baby sister a secret, he would often do that. Hoping that Melody would keep her word, Mervin finished packing for the pool.

Later, the gang met up at a bus stop to get on a bus that would lead them directly to the pool. At the stop was, Judy, Benji, Finnick with sunglasses on, Mervin, Falisha, Ronnie, Audran, and Flash with a bag filled with stuff for the pool. They also seemed to manage with the heat better. They were all ready, except Nick and Darson weren't here yet.

"Where's Nick and Darson?" Judy asked. "The bus is about to come."

"Well, you know how they are. They like to be late." Ronnie stated.

"I'm surprised Flash made it here before they did." Benji said.

"I'm not." Mervin and Falisha said together.

"We remember the thing with the wagon when we were little. So getting by a little cart, pretty believable." Mervin stated.

Flash waited 3 seconds before saying "What can I say? I aim to impress.".

"I may never understand this sloth." Judy thought.

The group then hears a voice from a distance.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late!" It's was Nick's voice.

"Nick! Glad that you ma..." Judy said happily. Her expression changes into a bit of a shocked one when she looks at Nick. "HOLY SHIRT!"

Nick didn't just come the way he looked before. He had on sunglasses and a red Pawaiian shirt with a white leaf pattern. The shirt was unbuttoned. Most of Nick's friends had... mixed feelings for his shirt. Mervin and Ronnie responded by laughing.

"What?" Nick asked as he shrugged.

"Dude, why are you wearing that shirt?" Ronnie asked trying not to laugh more.

"It's Summer and we're heading to the pool. So I decided to switch to wearing something 'festive'." Nick said proudly.

"Nick, I'm sorry. But your shirt is just so... tacky." Judy said honestly.

"Tacky? Carrots, this shirt is great. Light, colorful, and fun to wear." Nick stated. "I honestly see myself wearing shirts like this more often."

"Nick, when we become adults and work for the ZPD, promise me you won't wear shirts like this." Judy pleaded to Nick.

"I will make **no** such promise." Nick said boldly with a straight face.

"*sigh* Whatever." Judy said not caring anymore. "As soon as Darson and the bus get here, we can..."

"I'm here!" Shouted out someone from the distance. It was Darson.

"Darson! Thank god you..." Judy said before looking at Darson and reacting the same way she did with Nick. "SWEET CHEESE AND CRACKERS!"

Like Nick, Darson was also wearing a Pawaiian shirt. To make things more surprising, it looked EXACTLY like Nick's shirt. Most of the gang, mainly Mervin, Ronnie, and Finnick started laughing even more.

"OH MY GOSH! THEY'RE SO TWINING! HAHAHA!" Mervin went. "This is the best thing ever."

"Seriously? You too, Darson?" Judy asked.

"Oh come on. This is a good shirt. The perfect shirt for the Summer." Darson stated.

"See? He gets it." Nick said happily.

Darson then noticed Nick wearing the same shirt as him and walked over to him. The two looked up and down at each other before giving each other a smirk, a wink, and the double finger guns.

"Eyyyyyyyyyy. Looking good." Nick and Darson said to each other.

"Oh my god..." Falisha said as she rolled her eyes.

A few seconds later, the bus came.

"Finally! The bus." Judy said happily.

"Alright, guys. The bus should take us straight to our destination. So let's be sure to enjoy our pool day." Nick said raising a fist up.

"Yeah!" Everyone else went also raising a paw up. Flash too, but a bit slower than everyone else.

As the bus stopped and opened the door, the teens shouted out "Pool day! Pool day! Pool day!" as they entered the bus. The bus closes its doors as they enter and the bus moves forward. After a couple of minutes of driving and walking for 3 minutes, the group had finally made it to the front entrance of the new pool. The outside of the pool looked like the size of a school football field if not larger. Meaning that the pool must be pretty huge. As the group all looked excited they all quickly go inside and once again shouted out "Pool day! Pool day! Pool day!". There was, however, one unexpecting thing. As the kids go to the pool area, they all froze and their jaws dropped with that they saw. The pool...WAS PACKED. Hundreds of other mammals, big and small, young and old, came to the pool today. Guessing everyone here had the same idea as the kids did.

"So... uhhhh... there's a lot of people." Judy stated as she scratched the back of her head.

"It's the hottest day of the year and it's this pool's grand opening. OF COURSE, IT WAS GOING TO BE PACKED!" Finnick shouted out.

"Why didn't any of us realize that sooner?" Audran asked.

"Guys, everyone has the right to come here. Sure, they're a lot more than expected and the pool is a bit... crowded." Nick said noticing there was barely any room the massive pool. "But come on. We're here to have some fun. So let's do that."

"Yeah. You're right, Nick." Ronnie said.

"Alright then. Let's all get changed and have some fun." Falisha said eagerly.

"Yeah!" Everyone else said happily.

The group headed to the changing room. The boys went into the boys' changing room and the girls went into the girls' changing room. After a few minutes, the boys came out of their changing rooms first. Nick had on green swim trunks, Benji had blue trunks, Finnick had red trunks with white lines on the side, Mervin had black trunks, Ronnie had yellow ones, Audran had white ones and goggles over his head, Darson had dark blue trunks on, and lastly, Flash had tan trunks on.

"Look at us. Look at us." Nick said smiling as he looks at his crew.

"Watch out, ladies. The shirts are off and the guns are out." Ronnie said grinning and flexing.

"Speaking of ladies, Judy and Fal haven't come out yet?" Mervin asked.

"Meh. They're girls. They take a bit longer." Finnick stated.

"Might as well give them another minute or two." Audran said as looked at the crowded pool. "Not like their much space in the pool anyway."

"Fair point." Nick said agreeing.

The boys waited for the girls. After two minutes, they finally came out. Falisha was wearing a black one-piece swimsuit with a white stripe on both sides. Judy's swimsuit was quite different. It was a light blue and white polka-dotted two-piece and the bottom part looked sort of like a skirt. The boys were pretty surprised by the girls swimwears.

"Wooooooaaah..." The boys went in awe.

"Guessing you boys like our suits." Falisha said not surprised.

"So, what do you think, Nicky?" Judy asked before doing a quick twirl. "Do you like it?"

Nick was pretty red-faced after looking at Judy. Being her boyfriend, Nick was allowed to call her cute and Nick thought that. However, it seems like Nick had something else in mind. Nick then took his green towel out and quickly wrapped it around Judy's middle.

"Nick! What are you doing?!" Judy asked wondering why Nick was wrapping a towel around her.

"Covering you up." Nick said firmly. "Why are you wearing a swimsuit like this?"

"Uhhh... cause I like it." Judy replied.

"What happened to the blue one-piece suit you had when we were 10?" Nick asked.

"I outgrew it. Obviously." Judy said with a straight-face. "What's wrong with this one?"

"It shows your stomach." Nick replied. "You shouldn't be showing so much fur for a swimsuit."

"You know, for someone who is supposedly my _boyfriend_ , you're acting my _dad_." Judy stated.

"Well, what would your dad think?" Nick asked. "Wearing something that shows your stomach."

"Well, you're one to talk, Slick. Showing off that naturally _foxy_ body of yours." Judy said.

"Pretty sure the rule for boys covering up is different from girls." Audran stated.

Judy then removed the towel from her body and gave it back to Nick.

"Nick, while I appreciate your concern, it's not needed. Everything will be fine. This is a pool and we are here to have fun. Aren't we?" Judy asked.

"*sigh* Fine." Nick said calming down. "But if any other guys, especially bucks, eyeball you in any way, I'mma kill them."

"Relax. No buck gonna steal me away." Judy said to Nick while holding his paws.

"You sure?" Darson asked. "I mean, in hindsight, you are an attractive bunny, Judy. It would be no surprise if someone..." Judy and Nick then gave Darson the stink eye. Darson automatically knew that he said too much. "I'll shut up now."

"Anyway... there's a little more space in the pool now. So how about we take that dip?" Audran asked.

Yeah. Let's do it." Ronnie said with a paw up. He then dashes to the poolside and jumps in while shouting "CANNONBALL!" and making a big splash.

"I get that splash an 8.6." Nick said with a grin.

"I'll show him how it's done." Mervin said eagerly. "My brothers had cannonball contests all the time. And since they're not here, I don't have to go all out just to keep up." As Mervin talks, Nick looked over at the distance. "Oh yeah. So glad I didn't tell them about the pool."

"Uhhhh... duder?" Nick said.

"Yeah?" Mervin said looking at Nick.

"Isn't that them over there?" Nick asked as him and some the others pointed out at the distance.

Mervin turned around and looked at the direction his friends were pointing at. He was shocked by what he saw. They were pointed at a group with 5 boy hyenas with different ages. The group WAS Mervin's brothers. The other Howlino boys. The brothers then spotted there brother and looked as shocked as he was.

"Oh you got to be kidding me!" Mervin said angrily as he marched over there.

"He... doesn't seem happy." Judy said.

"Let's just let him handle his business." Finnick said.

Mervin marched all the way to the other side of the pool where his brothers were standing. Mervin's brothers were Miles, Mac, Murray, Merlin, and Mali. Miles, the tallest and the oldest, wore red swim trunks, Mac, the mildly chubby second-oldest, wore green trunks and a black swim shirt, Murray, the skinny and third oldest brother, had red dye on his hair and blue and black trunks, Merlin, the middle child that usually wears glasses, wore goggles and white trunks, and Mali, the second youngest brother, wore light blue trunks.

"What are you guys doing here?" Mervin asked.

"We been asking each other that same question." Mac said angrily.

"I thought I told Mel not to tell any of you." Mervin stated.

"Funny. Cause I told her the same thing." Murray stated.

"Me too." Mali said.

"So did I." Merlin said.

"Ugh. So Melody kept our secret, but didn't say anything about ALL of us coming here anyway." Mervin said before placing his right palm on his face. "*sigh*"

Meanwhile, at the Howlino home, Melody was playing with her dolls when her mom came into the room.

"Melody dear, have you seen any of your brothers?" Mrs. Howlino asked.

"They each told me they were going to the pool. But it's a secret. Shhh." Melody said.

"Okay." Mrs. Howlino said quietly and playing along.

Back with the Howlino brothers...

"Look, whatever." Miles said. "Here's the deal. This pool just opened so none of us screw this up, okay?"

"Yeah. I don't want us to get banned from here like the restaurant." Mervin stated.

"Are you STILL blaming me for that?" Mac asked.

"Yes!" The other brothers answered.

"It was the last strawberry shortcake in the restaurant. I wanted that piece." Mac said firmly.

"You knocked out an old lady for it." Murray stated.

"I will not apologize for that. That cake was good and moist." Mac said firmly.

"See, that is why we're still banned from there." Mali stated.

"Okay, look. Just because we're brothers, it doesn't mean we have to be around each other. So let's just do our own things and not blow it. Agreed?" Mervin asked.

"Agreed." The other brothers answered.

With that, the 6 hyenas went at separate directions. Mervin went back to his friends so they could finally start enjoying their pool day. The boys enjoy their dip in the pool while Judy and Falisha sat by the empty pool chairs for a bit.

"It was a great idea to come here." Judy said to Falisha with a smile.

"I'm surprised that we didn't put 'pool' on our 'Endless Summer' list earlier." Falisha said. "I'm glad that you are here for the Summer, Judy. For a while, it's always been me and the boys. I haven't had much girl friends to hang out with since Gazelle moved."

"Really?" Judy asked.

"Yeah. Besides the girls at Bunnyburrow, most of the girl friends I know are either busy or away for the Summer. " Falisha stated. "Don't get me wrong. I love the boys and all, but... they're just... so..."

"Boys?" Judy asked knowing what she meant.

"Exactly." Falisha replied.

"I get it. The boys do outnumber us. I think we need to find another girl be to buddies with." Judy stated.

"Well, they're quite a few girls our age here." Falisha said as she looked around and at the pool.

"Well, we can't just talk to some random girls. We need to find someone we can easily connect with. Someone we have something in common with." Falisha stated.

"That will be tough since the best person to get along with is someone you already know. Like someone in school or..." Judy said but as she talked, she noticed someone from the distance. "... Mimi?"

"Mimi? She's nice, but a little awkward." Falisha said.

"No. I mean, Mimi is here." Judy stated firmly as she pointed. "Look."

From the edge of the poolside was a teenage skunk girl with a pink swimsuit, pink bathing cap, and goggles on. It really was Mimi. The same Mimi that the gang has meant before. The good, but very ditzy girl was looking hesitate from getting into the pool.

"Okay. The worst part about going into the pool, besides drowning, is the first dip. But once you get through it, it's nice and refreshing to the body." Mimi thought to look determined. "Now, I just need to dip my foot in and..."

The second Mimi dipped her foot into the cold pool water, it was like her entire body froze up.

"EEP!" Mimi shrieked before immediately taking her foot out of the water. "NOPENOPENOPE! TOO COLD! TOO COLD!" Mimi thought. "Maybe I'll just stay out of the water."

"Mimi!" Judy said while walking over to the skunk girl.

Hearing her nickname, Mimi turned around and sees Judy and Falisha.

"Oh! Judy! Falisha!" Mimi said happily. "It's good to see you again. REALLY good to see you."

"It's been a while." Falisha said.

"Quite a while. Give or take two weeks." Mimi said. "Are those other guys with you?"

"Yeah. They are over there." Judy said pointing at the pool spot where the boys were.

"Oh goodie. I expected them to be with you since you are all usually together." Mimi stated.

"So, what brings you here?" Judy asked.

"Well, when the A/C at your home is broken and the heat is enough to make you wish for a fast death, the pool seemed like the best option." Mimi stated. "You know, cause I kinda like living."

"Ha ha... I see..." Judy said smiling awkwardly.

"Uhhh... Mimi, can't help but notice that you're still pretty dry." Falisha said looking at Mimi's non-wet body.

"Good observation skills. It's cause I haven't... actually swam yet." Mimi admitted.

"Oh. Well, how long have you been here?" Falisha asked.

"Well... you know... almost an hour." Mimi said looking a bit shameful.

"Seriously?" Falisha said raising an eyebrow.

"It's cold water! Really cold! Taking that first dip is like taking a bath in Tundratown." Mimi stated.

"Yeah. But when you get through that first part, it's so refreshing." Judy said.

"Right?" Mimi said agreeing.

"Mims, it's sometimes best to just jump in and get it over with." Judy stated boldly. "Come on. We'll jump with you if it will help."

"O... okay." Mimi said willing to try.

Judy and Falisha stood beside Mimi with her standing in between them. They went to the pool's edge about to jump in.

"On three." Mimi said. "One..." Before she could even get to two, Judy and Falisha lightly pushed Mimi in the water. As expected, the water was pretty cold and Mimi was shivering all over. "WAAAAH! COLD! COLD! COLD!"

"Sorry!" Judy shouted out. "But we didn't want you wuss out at the last second."

"That was a total _Nick move_." Falisha said to Judy.

"It was definitely a _Nick move_." Judy said agreeing with her friend.

Meanwhile, Nick and the boys were all in the pool enjoying their time. Finnick was on an inner tube while having his sunglasses on.

"This is the life, ain't it boys?" Finnick asked.

"Oh yeah." The others went.

"So Merv, what were you talking to your brothers about?" Nick asked.

"Nothing big. I don't want to talk about it." Mervin said.

"Come on. You can tell us what's up." Benji said.

"I said I don't want to talk about it." Mervin said firmly. He then got splashed with water by Nick. "Hey!"

"Tell us!" Nick said preparing to splash him again.

"No." Mervin said keeping his firmness.

Nick, Ronnie, Darson, and Audran then all splashed at Mervin while shouting out "Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!"

"Hey! Hey! Alright! Alright!" Mervin said wanting the other to stop splashing him with the water. The boys then stopped splashing the hyena. Mervin then swims to one of the walls of the pool as he explains to the others. "First off, don't get the wrong idea. I do love all my brothers. But... they can be... much."

"What do you mean?" Nick asked. "I like your brothers and they don't seem that bad."

"Nick, you don't have to live with them. Besides, you wouldn't understand. I'm the second youngest kid in my family while you're the oldest in yours. Plus Todd and Vicky are still babies. By the time they grow up, you'll barely be around."

"Wow. Really?" Nick said not happy with Mervin's remark.

"Sorry. Guess it's not that different from me and Melody." Mervin said. "What I mean is... you don't have to deal with what I had to deal with. When the six of us are together at the same place, things get crazy. It's like our brother instincts tell us to fight and argue with each other on a daily basis. You know, because of that, we got banned from one or two places."

"I can see that." Ronnie said.

"I know that compared to Jude's family, I have it easy. But... that doesn't mean it is easier." Mervin said sincerely. "It's like... I'm just a number in a crowd and when I'm in said crowd, things get... you know..."

Mervin then submerged himself into the water a bit looking a bit depressed. To Mervin, he was a lot like his brothers. But he wanted to be, not only different but independent from them.

"Mervin, can I say something?" Finnick asked. "You're a dumb-dumb."

"What?" Mervin said looking a bit mad.

"Dude!" Nick replied not looking happy with Finnick.

"Okay. I'm going to take off the F-I and N in my name to be Nick for a moment. I'm also going to say what Nick always says in moments like this and cut out the middle man." Finnick said. "Blah blah blah... you're overthinking it. Yadda yadda yadda... you and your brothers are your own mammals. Yakkity yak yak... talk with them about it. Blah blah... grow to understand them more."

"*chuckles* That sounds **exactly** like something Nick would say." Mervin said laughing.

"I don't talk like that." Nick said firmly.

"Actually, you do." Darson said. "I mean, you talked like that a few times with me."

"And me." Finnick said.

"Me too." Ronnie said.

"Same here." Benji said.

"You do talk to us like that a lot." Mervin stated to Nick. "It's kind of your thing."

"No. My thing is making people's lives better. Talking... is just part of the process." Nick admitted while lightly sinking in the water.

"Uh huh." The others said in unison.

At that moment, Judy, Falisha, and Mimi swam over to the boys.

"Hey guys. Look who's also here?" Judy said to the boys with Mimi floating beside her.

"Mimi!" The boys all shouted out excitedly.

"H... Hey." Mimi said while smiling and waving awkwardly.

"It's good to see you again. Been a while, hasn't it?" Nick said.

"Yeah. If you call 11 days, 5 hours, and 23 minutes a while." Mimi stated.

"You actually counted the days, hours, and minutes?" Ronnie asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Whaaaat? No." Mimi said. "Just the days and hours. Cause the minutes would be weeeeird."

"Riiiiiight." Ronnie said smiling awkwardly. "I'm assuming you're here to cool off too."

"Oh yes. This heatwave is un- **bearable**." Mimi said making a joke.

"Hahaha!" Mervin laughed.

"You didn't have to make a joke." Ronnie said with a straight face.

"Sorry. Sorry. I was trying to be humorous." Mimi said apologetically.

"Trust us, we get enough jokes from that guy." Audran said while pointing at Nick.

"Hey. I resent that. I've barely made as many jokes these days." Nick stated.

" _Barely_ is still too many." Finnick stated.

"Hmpt!" Nick grunted as he puffed out his cheeks.

"Mervin... and I... like... your... jokes." Flash said with a smile.

"Thanks, Flash. Glad **some people** know a good joke when they hear one." Nick said.

The others besides Mervin and Flash just shook their heads. They weren't really a fan of Nick's simple jokes. Even his own girlfriend. Shortly after, a few of them got out of the pool for a bit. Benji was playing Marco Polo with Falisha and Ronnie, Mervin went over to the diving board, and the other dried off a bit. Nick shook his whole body to get some of the water off. He then grabbed his towel and started drying himself. Once he finished drying off, he looked at Judy and Falisha who were talking with Mimi.

Nick noticed that Judy and Falisha were spending most of the day with Mimi. Nick totally understood why Judy and Falisha were hanging with Mimi. It's because they were all girls. There really wasn't any out girls in their group. Mostly boys by a high margin. So he thought it was great for them to have another girl around. He then saw someone approach the girls. The person was a male brown rabbit around the age they were. He had green eyes and dark blue trunks on. It seemed that he had his eyes on Judy.

"Hey there." The rabbit said greeting Judy.

"Oh. Hello?" Judy said being polite.

"My, you are quite a pretty bunny are." The male rabbit said being flirty.

"Umm... thanks?" Judy said.

"Sorry, Casanova. She's already taken by someone." Falisha stated.

"Yeah. Sorry, but I already have a boyfriend." Judy told the boy.

"Really? I don't see him anywhere." The buck said looking left and right. "Besides, whoever your boyfriend is, you can do better."

Judy and the other girls started to look angry with this bunny.

"What makes you think I can do better? Cause looking at you and hearing the way you talk, you're not much." Judy said not being interested in him the slightest.

"Please. I bet compared to me, your boyfriend is nothing spe..." The rabbit went sounding a bit smug.

But before he could finish that, Nick showed up from behind Judy and placed his paws around Judy's shoulders.

"Hey, sweetie." Nick said to Judy.

"Oh. Hey, Nicky." Judy said smiling at her boyfriend.

The male rabbit started to look a little scared. He wasn't expecting Judy's boyfriend to be a fox. Unfortunately, the rabbit was one of the rabbits that feared foxes.

"This guy isn't bothering you, isn't he?" Nick asked while giving the rabbit a deadly glare.

"I... I didn't mean to!" The rabbit said frantically. "I... I will be going now!"

The rabbit then quickly ran away. As he did, one of the lifeguards shouted out "NO RUNNING!". It is dangerous to run in an area near the pool after all. Nick had a wide grin on his face.

"The one time I'm okay with bunny being afraid of me." Nick said still grinning. He then turned Judy around. "See, Carrots? What did I tell you? That guy tried to make a move on you."

"And he was getting nowhere with me." Judy told Nick. She then held onto Nick's paw. "You know you're the one for me, you know that, Nick?"

"Be it as it may..." Nick said as he held both of Judy's paws and leaned down a little. "... I'm not leaving your side for the rest of the day. I don't want anyone else to try and steal you away from me."

"Okay. If you're gonna be so worry." Judy said with a sly smile.

Judy then walked off with Nick. Leaving Falisha with the company of Mimi. Mimi looked at Nick and Judy with admiration.

"Awwww! I had no idea Nick and Judy cared about each other THAT much." Mimi said looking all starry-eyed.

"That's Nick and Judy for ya. It's like those two were meant for each other." Falisha stated knowing Nick and Judy's history.

"Do you have a boyfriend yourself?" Mimi asked.

"A... wh... what?" Falisha uttered as she started to blush. She then started to twiddle her fingers. "I mean... I do kinda know a boy I like. But we aren't really a 'thing' yet."

"Ooooooh! So there is a boy? Please tell me everything!" Mimi pleaded eagerly wanting to hear everything Falisha had to say.

Meanwhile, with Mervin, he was eager to jump off the diving board. The diving board was pretty tall. Possible as tall as the neck of a giraffe, if not taller. As he looked up, he noticed someone was attempting to dive off of it. It was his brother, Mali. He took a leap off the board and did two flips in the air before diving into the water. A few mammals applauded Mali for such an excellent jump. This included the other Howlino brothers watching by the side of the pool.

"Not bad, Mali. But I still think I'm the one to beat." Miles stated as Mali got out of the water.

"Please. That was awesome." Mali said thinking he was the better diver.

"Not awesome enough to top my jackknife dive." Miles stated.

"Or my mega cannonball." Mac said boldly.

"What are you all doing?" Mervin asked. "Didn't we all agree to NOT be near each other?"

"Tried that. Didn't work." Murray stated.

"So we decided to have a diving contest." Merlin said.

"We've all had our go. You in, Merv?" Mac asked.

"HA! I'm not only in, I'm going for the win." Mervin said confidently.

"Well then..." Miles said while moving out of the way allowing Mervin to make his way to the diving board. "... let's see what you got."

"Heh. I got this." Mervin said confidently.

Mervin then passed his brothers and made his way to the ladder of the diving board. He then started climbing up it. At first, he climbed up the ladder filled with vigor. But as he got higher and higher, he started to get nervous. He didn't truly realize how tall the diving board was. In fact, to him, it was looking than it actually was. As if he was a hundred feet from the ground.

"Hehe! My, I'm pretty high up. Didn't think this was so high." Mervin thought starting to look a bit nervous.

Mervin then made it to the top. He even got noticed by his friends.

"Look, Mervin's on the top of the diving board." Judy said to Nick who said that he wouldn't leave her side for the rest of the day.

"Oh. Look at him going big." Nick said.

"YOU GOT THIS, MERVIN!" Finnick shouted out.

"TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT FALLING TO YOUR DEATH!" Mimi shouted out.

"MIMI!" Some of the gang shouted out at the skunk thinking that wasn't the best thing to shout out.

"Sorry." Mimi said apologetically.

Meanwhile on the diving board...

"Great. Now I'm thinking about falling to my death. Thanks, Mimi..." Mervin thought with a straight face. Mervin then stood at the edge of the board. He then did the one thing you shouldn't do from a height place. Look down. "Holy nachos! That's a big drop!"

Mervin then started shaking and losing his footing. This worried a bit of the people watching. Including Mervin's friends and brothers.

"Oh no." Judy said looking worried.

"Careful. Even if he falls into the water, the wrong move could really injure him." Nick said looking concerned.

By the passing second, Mervin got more and more scared.

"*whimper* Okay. This was a bad idea. Maybe I should go down." Mervin thought.

"MERVIN!" Shouted out the Howlino brothers.

Mervin then looked down at his brothers.

"Mervin, we're not forcing you to jump!" Mac shouted.

"If you don't want to, then don't!" Murray shouted.

"We were scared too! Even Miles!" Mali shouted out.

"But if you do jump, be calm!" Merlin shouted out.

"And just go for it!" Miles shouted out.

After hearing the advice he was getting from all of his brothers, Mervin was able to gain back some of his composure.

"Okay. My bros are right. I don't have to jump,... but I want to." Mervin thought. He then looked back at the ladder. "Plus it's scary to go back down that ladder." He then stood by the tip of the diving board. "I got this. Be like Nick and Judy."

Mervin closed his eyes for a few seconds, he then thought of Miles's words "Just go for it!" and jumped off. Keeping a T-Form, he somersaulted backward 4 times while turning. He then held his arms out forward as he falls into the water. It was beyond an excellent dive. As Mervin swims up to the surface, he could hear cheers from the spectators that watched him. As well as his friends and his brothers.

"That was awesome, Merv." Ronnie said while clapping.

"Excellent dive." Audran said.

"Woo! That's how it's done, little bro." Mac said.

"I'd say Mervin beat us all." Mali stated with a smile.

"*sigh* Our little brother wins our contest." Miles said while shrugging. "I suppose I'm okay with it."

"Psst! Speak for yourself." Murray said looking pouty with his arms crossed.

After a long while, the gang thought that they had a long enough pool day and that it was time to head home. Changing back into their regular clothes as they leave the pool. They all came out along with Mervin's brothers and Mimi. They were still talking about Mervin's dive.

"... and when you hit the water with that graceful dive, it was awesome!" Audran stated boldly.

"I'm just glad I didn't screw it up." Mervin said.

"We should have rematch one day." Miles suggested.

"Haha! Not happening." Mervin said firmly. "Seriously, going up that thing once was scary enough. No joke."

"Agreed." The Howlino brothers said.

"Alright. I'm starving. How about we get some tacos before heading home?" Mac asked.

"I'm down for some tacos." Merlin said raising a paw up.

"So long as it's not from the Taco Hut down the block. Still banned from there." Mali said.

"Mac's fault!" Miles and Murray stated.

"Oh yeah. Blame the chubby one." Mac said looking a bit mad.

"Been there." Benji said understanding Mac because he was chubby like him.

"You coming, Merv?" Miles asked.

Mervin nodded his head and said "Yeah.". He then turned to his friends. "See you, guys."

"Bye Mervin." Nick and Judy said waving goodbye.

Mervin then left the group with his brothers. Mimi then walked a bit forward.

"Well, I guess I'll be going now." Mimi said sounding sad. "It really was nice to see you all again. It's a shame that we have to part again. Maybe we will meet again soon. Maybe in another 11 days... or months... maybe even years. Who knows? Maybe this will be the last time we see each other."

The group could tell Mimi was being a bit overdramatic. Actually, way too overdramatic. Judy and Falisha could tell that Mimi didn't want to really say goodbye yet. And frankly, neither did they.

"Mimi, can we asked you something?" Judy asked.

"Yes?" Mimi said as she looked eager.

"Falisha and I have been talking and..." Judy said.

"... Would you like to be a part of our little group?" Falisha asked.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!" Mimi went overly excited. "Really?!"

"Yeah. We think you will fit into our group just fine." Judy said.

"Also, we need more girls." Falisha said seriously. "Seriously, we need another girl with us so badly."

"We really do." Judy said agreeing and nodding. Judy then turned to the boys. "It's okay with you guys, right?"

"Of course." Nick said with a welcoming smile.

"Fine with me." Finnick said okay with Mimi joining.

"The more the merrier." Benji said smiling as well.

"Our group was becoming a bit of a Dude Ranch." Ronnie admitted.

"That really was kinda the case, eh?" Audran said.

"We could use a new person." Darson said.

"Welcome... to our... group,... Mimi." Flash said slowly, but happily.

"So, how about we exchange numbers?" Judy asked while getting out her cellphone.

"S... sure!" Mimi said happily.

Everyone then gave Mimi their numbers and Mimi gave them hers. Judy also gave Mimi Mervin's number since he already left. Nick said he would text him later and tell him about Mimi joining then group. Once they finished exchanging numbers they put their phones away.

"And with that, we should all get going." Nick said.

"Yeah. Mervin's bros had a good idea going out for some grub." Ronnie said as his stomach growled. "I could go for a burga."

"With some fries." Benji said wanting a burga too.

"Mervin and his brothers had a good idea going out for tacos, but I'm feeling more in a mood for nachos." Darson said.

"I'm thinking pizza." Finnick said as the boys started walking.

Finnick, Benji, Audran, Ronnie carrying Flash, and Darson all left wanting to get some food. Falisha then waved goodbye to Judy and Mimi.

"I'm heading home. Are you and Gwen coming over for dinner again?" Nick asked.

"Of course. But I should get her first." Judy stated.

"Then I will see you then, my dear Carrots." Nick said before kissing Judy on her forehead. Judy responded by blushing.

Nick then made his way home. Judy said goodbye to Mimi and went on her way too. Even with her being by herself now, she couldn't help but feel happy.

"I have posse now. Mom's not gonna believe this." Mimi thought with a wide grin.

 **So, Mimi is now a part of the group. To be honest, I really wanted to add a new chapter to the group for a while now. Especially when I realized how many boys are part of the group. Plus skunks, like hyenas, are pretty rare to see in Zootopia. Anyway, so glad I finished a new chapter. On with starting the next chapter. Til then, peace out.**


	13. Movie Day

**Chapter 13. Got to keep the workflow going. So, when I was around the age of 13, a lot of superhero movies came out at the time. So for this chapter, Nick, Judy, and the gang go out to watch a superhero movie. Nick's favorite superhero, Hood. I wanted to do a chapter like this because I wanted some chapter to be about the kids doing normals things like watch movies, eat pizza, or go bowling. It's all part of their plans for their 'Endless Summer'. To continue with the superhero theme, check out my Zootopia/Cloak & Dagger AU stories, Darkness and Light & Darkness and Light: Bringing Order. Nick and Judy take the roles as Marvel's Cloak & Dagger and fight for revenge and justice. Pretty dope reads if I do say so myself. Plus, Bringing Order is still ongoing. Now, enough of that. Let's get to the chapter.**

* * *

The Zooplix Theater. One of the best theaters in Zootopia to go and watch the best movies at high quality. And that's where the gang was today or rather... they're outside of the theater. Waiting in the middle of a very long line was Judy, Finnick, Benji, Mervin, Falisha, Ronnie, Audran, Darson, and Flash. They looked like they were waiting in line for a long time.

"This line so loooooooooooong." Mervin said feeling like this was a drag to wait so long.

"Who would have guessed that opening day for the _Hood_ movie would be such a blowout?" Ronnie asked.

"Pretty sure Nick did." Darson said.

"Seriously, where is Slick?" Judy asked seeing that Nick was nowhere around. "Out of every one of us, **he** should be the one here."

"Yeah. You should have seen him when he first found out about the movie." Benji said.

A few months ago, Nick was walking around the streets with Finnick, Benji, and Mervin. Nick was drinking soda from a cup when all fo a sudden, he dropped it at the site of a poster he sees on a bus post. Nick's friends see how he froze up and stuttered.

"Nick, what's wrong?" Benji asked.

"Ahhh... ahhh... ahhh..." Nick uttered as he pointed at the poster.

The others looked at the poster and it was of a fox turning on his right side in a green outfit with a hood over his head and holding an arrow. The words on the bottom said " _Hood_ " and "Coming this Summer" below that.

"Woah! _Hood_ is having a movie?" Mervin asked surprised.

"Oh yeah. I've heard about it." Finnick said remembering he heard some news about it before.

"Isn't Hood your favorite Su..." Before Benji could even finish that sentence, Nick hopped up on the chubby cheetah and grabbed him by his shirt.

"WE HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE!" Nick shouted right at Benji's face.

Nick really wanted to see this movie. Like, REALLY wanted to see this movie. Maybe more than anyone. So he really should have been there with his friends.

"Where do you think he is?" Falisha asked.

Flash paused for three seconds before saying something. "He said he was going to get something from his house." Flash said at a normal speed.

"He better hurry. The movie is in half an hour and we still need to get tickets." Ronnie stated as he looked at his watch.

A few seconds later, a young fox in a green superhero outfit and a bow appeared. He performed a somersault and then pulled out a toy bow and pointed a suction cup arrow at the group.

"Hello, fellow crusaders!" The fox in the outfit said in a cheery heroic matter.

"Nick?!" The group said.

The fox then puts up the arrow and bow, takes off his hood, and the green mask he had on. In really was Nick.

"The one and only." Nick said with a wide grin. "Since it's the premiere, I had to rock out with a super cool 'Hood' costume. What do you guys think?"

The costume Nick had on was pretty close to the actual 'Hood'. A green outfit with a few buckles, a quiver that held suction cup arrows, a toy model bow, a green mask to put near his eyes, and the hood.

"Wow! That's a really cool costume." Judy said looking impressed.

"Looks pretty expensive. Where did you get it?" Audran asked.

"I feel that you guys forget that I'm the son of a great tailor. Pop made this costume for me." Nick stated proudly. He then put back on his mask and the hood over his head.

"Your dad made THAT? That's impressive." Benji said looking amazed.

"Yeah. Was saving this for Clawoween, but I feel that the premiere for the Summer's Best Movie would be great too." Nick said excitedly. "Best part, since we are all 13 and up, we can watch this movie with no parental guidance."

"Yeah! First PG-13 movie!" Ronnie shouted out excitedly with his arms up.

"Still,... your costume a little... much for a movie, Nick." Falisha stated feeling that Nick overdressed.

"Hey! I'm not the first fan to dress the part when it comes to these movie premieres." Nick stated firmly. Some of the people in line were dressed in costumes too.

"True. But I don't think we see you as one of those **nerds** that actually did that." Darson said with a smirk before laughing.

Not liking his words, Nick got out his bow and shot an arrow right at Darson. The suction cup arrow hit him right on the center of his forehead.

"DAAAHH!" Darson yelled out.

"Headshot!" Nick said with a smirk.

"Nice shot!" Mervin said impressed by Nick's archery.

Darson then pulled the arrow out of his forehead.

"Not cool, Wilde!" Darson shouted out angrily. He then pulled the arrow out of his forehead. "This better not have pulled off some of my fur."

Darson then tosses the arrow back to Nick and he put it back in his quiver. Nick then looked at Finnick and notice that he was wearing a tan overcoat... in the Summer.

"Finn, why are you in an overcoat?" Nick asked.

"If you have to ask, then you don't know Finnick at all." Judy said with a straight-face.

"Please don't tell me you have snacks in there so you can sneak them inside the theater." Nick said to Finnick.

"Movie snacks sold in the theater are seriously overpriced." Finnick stated. "I'm not spending 3 times the regular amount for a simple candy bar."

"Dude, seriously, you can't really do that. It's frowned upon." Nick stated.

"Hey, if you want to be a dumb-dumb and waste your money, be my guest. Me, I'll be happily saving my money." Finnick said with a smirk.

Nick then shot another arrow hitting Finnick right on his forehead.

"Hey!" Finnick shouted out in angry.

"How are you so good at that?" Judy asked.

"Apparently, foxes are natural when it comes to archery." Nick stated as he puts his bow up.

Finnick then pulls the arrow off his forehead and snaps it with his paw.

"Hey! Those don't come cheap and I don't have a lot of those." Nick said mad at Finnick for breaking his arrow.

"Can you just get in line already?" Finnick asked. "The line is crazy long. So getting tickets is hard enough."

"I know." Nick said as he dug into his pocket and reveal several movie tickets. "Which is why I bought our tickets in advance."

"WHAT?!" Everyone else shouted out. Nick must have not told them that he already had bought tickets for the movie.

"You mean we stayed in this line for almost an hour for nothing?!" Mervin asked not sounding too happy.

"Kinda." Nick replied. "But I must say, to wait in line the way you guys did, you are all real troopers. Now let's get in."

"Hmpt! I don't think we want to go in with you now." Judy said looking mad and crossing her arms.

"Yeah. With all the waiting you made us do, why should we go with you?" Darson asked also with his arms crossed. The others also crossed their arms.

"Cause I brought tickets for all of us... with **my** money." Nick stated with a serious look on his face.

Everyone else's eyes then widen when they heard that. Nick actually paid for the tickets. Meaning the other wouldn't have to contribute any money. The friends started to feel guilty about it.

"You're a good boyfriend." Judy said to Nick.

"I'll buy you some popcorn." Benji said feeling that he own him something.

"You can have some of my candy bars." Finnick said feeling the same way Benji was.

"Nachos are on me." Ronnie said also feeling that he should give Nick something.

"That's what I thought." Nick said with a grin.

The gang got out of the line and went straight into the theater. Before going to their designated screening room, they went to the lobby to get themselves some snacks. The buttery aroma of freshly popped popcorn got most of them thinking to get some. As they look at the menu, they were trying to think of what else looks good. The only thing that didn't look good as the prices. On the bright side, upsizing was too much of a bigger price.

"Popcorn is definitely the perfect movie snack. But some of the tubs are bigger than me." Judy stated. "Wanna share a jumbo, Nick?"

"Well, one of the main points in have a big tub is sharing it." Nick stated as he places his arm around Judy. "Nothing like sharing it with your girl."

"Oh. Being slick again, _Mr. Hero_." Judy said grin at Nick.

"Guys, not before the movie." Finnick stated not wanting them to get all... coupley. "Actually, don't even do anything during the movie."

"I'm thinking about getting a Super Mega Gulp." Benji said looking at the drink sizes.

"Dude, you do NOT get a giant soda for a movie." Nick stated firmly.

"The cup for the Super Mega Gulp looks bigger than Finnick." Ronnie stated.

"But... it's only 50 cents more than a regular size." Benji pointed out.

"That's how they get you." Mervin said. "If you get a soda that big, you're gonna have to take a pee break every 20 minutes and miss all the good stuff."

"It's still a good deal. How about I share it with you guys?" Benji suggested.

"Yeah... no. There's 10 of us and, no offense, but I rather not taste any of you guys backwash." Darson said.

"Agreed." Everyone else went.

"Fine. I'll just get a regular size soda." Benji said sounding like he would rather have the Super Mega Gulp.

"Your bladder will thank you later." Judy said.

"Let's also get some Choco-Bricks... and some Sour Dyna-bites... oooh. Not to mention some gummy bears, licorice ropes, and maybe some..." Nick said going on about the candy choices.

"Jeez, Nick. Are you wanting us to get everyone kind of candy available?" Judy asked.

"Last time I check, you guys were buying. Unless... I spend that money on tickets for nothing." Nick said trying to guilt-trip his friends.

"Okay. Okay. We'll get you whatever you want." Ronnie said. "You're gonna keep using that on us anyway, are you?"

"You know me so well." Nick said smirking.

"Come on. Let's hurry. We don't want to miss the previews." Audran stated.

Everyone nodded and agreed to hurry up and get their snacks. Carrying either popcorn, sodas, nachos, or an assortment of candies, the kids went into their selected theater and tried to get to their seats. The room had quite a few mammals. A majority of them being foxes. As the gang goes to the middle row, the group tries not to drop any of their goodies.

"Careful. Careful." Judy said quietly as helps Nick with their big tub of popcorn.

"I got it. I got it." Nick told Judy.

"Why is it always so hard to get through chairs in a theater?" Benji asked holding his soda tub of popcorn.

"Between size differences, other movie go-ers, and the seating, it's pretty much a common thing." Finnick stated as he scooching. "Another factor is the sticky floors."

"Why is this that the floors at movie theaters are always so sticky?" Mervin asked.

"Cause mammals are messy." Ronnie stated.

"Just like my brothers..." Mervin said.

"Eww! I think I stepped in something." Falisha said in disgust as she steps in something sticky. "I think it's gum. I **hope** it's gum."

"If you don't look, it won't upset you more when you do." Darson stated.

"I think I just stepped on a rope of licorice." Audran said.

"Black or Red?" Ronnie asked.

Audran looked down and said "Black.".

"Bleech!" The others went in disgust.

"Who even likes black licorice?" Nick asked everyone else.

"Black licorice was actually the first kind of licorice." Benji stated.

"First doesn't mean the best and it has the taste to prove it." Nick stated.

"I... actually... like... black... licorice." Flash said.

"It's amazing that we're friends with you." Darson said.

"I... should... say... the same... to you." Flash said slowly with a smirk.

"Ooooooh! Slow burn!" Mervin said before chuckling.

"Grrrr..." Darson said a bit mad.

"By the way, where's Mimi? Isn't she part of the group now?" Nick asked.

"She said she was busy with some family matters." Judy stated.

"Okay. I didn't really get a ticket for her anyway." Nick said.

"Nick!" Judy said looking a bit mad.

"Hey! I got the tickets **before** she joined us." Nick stated. "Maybe if it was two weeks ago, I could have got her one."

Once at the right spot, the gang sat down.

"Cellphones off, guys." Nick told everyone.

Everyone took out their cellphones and turned them all off, so they could focus on the movie. Nick sat next to Judy and took some of the popcorn from the tub. They all started to have their movie snacks as they watched the previews of the upcoming movies. While that was happening, Judy wanted to know a bit more about the character, Hood.

"So Nick, can you tell me what I should expect for this movie?" Judy asked.

"Well, in the original comics, before one or two of the reboots, Hood, goes by super-rich man, Brandon Greene. He was raised by his parents and his dad trained him in the art of archery as a kit. Growing up in a discriminating world, Brandon decided to fight crime as _Hood_ with his ace-archery and his black belt. I would give you more, but it might spoil the movie for you." Nick said to Judy.

"Ehh. They change things in movies all the time when it comes to comic books." Finnick said as he pops some candy into his mouth.

"Hey. I think it's started." Falisha said.

"Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!" Nick went frantically at everyone else. "Everyone quiet down."

"Jeez. Nick must really want to see this movie." Judy thought.

Everyone quiets down as the movie started. The opening scene was with a young tod holding a bow and arrow. There was a set of targets in front of him. The boy pulls the bow and makes a shot with the arrow. The arrow hits one of the targets but is nowhere near a bullseye.

"Dang it. I can never hit the bullseye." The young tod said sounding frustrated.

From behind him, an adult fox walks over to him and leans down. He was male and a bit more muscular than your average fox. This was clearly the little fox's father. He helps straighten the young fox's bow.

"You have to keep a steady paw and firm grip." The adult fox said to the young tod. "Eyes up... and... release!"

The young tod released the bow and got a bullseye.

"YES!" The young tod said as he jumped for joy.

"That's how it's done, my boy." The adult fox said.

Nick decided to explain a bit of the scene to Judy since Judy probably doesn't know anything about the characters.

"The young fox is Brandon Greene and the big fox is his father, Micheal Greene." Nick stated quietly to Judy.

"Oh. So that little guy's gonna grow up to be _Hood_." Judy said predicting that much.

"Yeah. In a couple of years." Nick stated.

"His dad seems pretty cool." Falisha said.

"Yeah... don't get to attach to him." Finnick said as he munches on some candy.

"Dude, spoilers!" Darson stated not sounding too happy.

"If it's based on the original stuff, it's not gonna be that much of a spoiler." Finnick stated.

"What's he talking about?" Judy asked looking confused.

About 15 minutes in, there... was a funeral scene. The funeral was for Brandon Greene's father, Micheal. The scene very grey and in a cemetery. It was also very tear-jerking for some of the viewers. Judy is one of them.

"*sniff* Why did they have to kill him off like that?" Judy said weeping.

"Common thing with superheroes: Tragic backstory." Nick stated as he ate more popcorn not looking too fazed.

"Most common one: Losing a parent or losing both parents." Finnick stated also not looking fazed.

"Yeah. It's like in every other comic book hero." Audran stated.

"But still..." Judy said.

"Shhhh... the movie's still happening, ya know?" Darson said.

"Right..." Judy said still looking sad.

The group then continued to watch the movie. The next thing to happen was a bit of a fast-forward. Brandon was now an adult fox running his own business. Becoming a very focus and very rich mammal. He still trained his body and perfected his archery. Watching the movie, Judy noticed that Brandon always wore this jade pendant.

"That pendant..." Judy said.

"It was his dad's." Finnick stated.

"He wears it all the time. Even under his suit." Nick stated to Judy.

The next scene the gang watched was Brandon going to a large bookshelf. He pulls out one of the books and the bookshelf opened up reveals a hidden elevator door. Brandon goes into the elevator and takes it down. The elevator went very down into a secret lair. The superhero kind with giant monitors, a computer database, a set of bows and arrows, and a bunch of other stuff. As Brandon leaves the elevator, he walks to the center and takes off his tie and drops it down to the ground.

"Oooh! His hideout!" Nick said a bit excitedly. "The fox's den."

Brandon goes to his monitors and sees that there trouble in one of the parts on the map. A large group of robbers. Seeing this the fox prepared himself and went into some internal monologue.

"For years, this city has been rotten more and more. For the longest time, I sat and did nothing but let it happened. No more. The city needs a ray of hope. Someone who can bring light to this city." Brandon thought.

He then faced a dark green outfit in a fox-styled mannequin. He changes into the costume, grabs his gears, places his bow on his back, puts on his mask, and then lastly puts on his hood. Brandon Greene was now _Hood_. An archery hero with a noble heart. Nick was in awe by this seen.

"So... awesome..." Nick uttered.

Hood then took out the pendant and looked at it.

"Father, watch over me." Hood thought.

He then tucked the pendant into his costume and goes over to the location on his computer. Seemed like the movie was about to get to an action scene, which the kids looked excited for.

"Finally, a real action scene." Ronnie as he eats his nachos.

"Why do action movies always take so long to get the actual actions?" Darson asked.

"If all action movies get to the action first thing, the movie wouldn't make sense." Finnick stated. "Story first to build-up to the action."

"Every... one... knows... that." Flash stated agreeing with Finnick.

"Shhhh..." Nick went to the others. "They're getting to a fight scene."

The movie then went into a scene where a black getaway van was driving at high speeds. From a rooftop. Hood took out an arrow from his quiver, placed it on the string of his bow, and then took aim at one of the tires. Predicting where the van would go, Hood shoots an arrow at the right time and takes out one of the front tires. The van then started steering out of control until the driver hits the breaks. The robbers all came out of the van wondering who shot their tire. The mammals were all prey mammals in black.

"Who shot our tire?!" One of the robbers went.

Hood then shot another arrow in between the robbers. The arrow shot out smoke and started making it hard for the robbers to see. That was when Hood came down and struck using a combination of his fighting skills and his arrows. The gang watched the PG-13 violence with mixed reactions. Most of them, like Nick, Finnick, Mervin, Darson, and Ronnie enjoyed it. Others, like Judy, Benji, and Falisha weren't really a fan of this type of violence.

"Oh yeah. This is awesome." Nick went before going for some more popcorn.

"Uhhh... so... the arrows that Hood uses, are they real arrows or..." Judy said as she watched the disturbing bad guy beatdown and one of them getting hit by an arrow and screaming. "Real arrows. Got it."

"He has some... _safer_ arrows." Nick stated to Judy. "But not all of them."

"I get the fighting, but does it have to be so brutal?" Falisha asked.

"Please. Unless you see some blood, this is PG at best." Finnick stated.

"Dude, I think he snapped that last guy's leg." Audran stated.

"Did you see blood?" Finnick asked.

"Surprisingly, no." Audran said.

"Again, **PG at best**. Especially if they all live." Finnick stated boldly.

"With a beatdown like this, I'll be surprised if they all don't have concussions." Darson stated.

The group continues to watch more and more of the movie and finished up all their movie snacks. The movie was filled with more and more action scenes as well as scenes that thicken the plot. The movie then went to a scene where Brandon was getting packed up by a red vixen in a black sleeveless shirt.

"So Brandon's love interest, Emily, is one of the only people that knows Brandon's identity?" Judy asked Nick.

"Correct, my dear bunny." Nick said. "She's basically Brandon's personal doctor that's actually a doctor."

On the screen, Emily finished wrapping bandages around Brandon's wounds.

"I'm not okay with this." Emily said to Brandon firmly. "I can't keep patching you up every time you get hurt."

"You're the only one I can go to, Em." Brandon said to Emily as he stretched his arms out a bit. "You're the only one I can count on. The only one I can trust."

"Why don't you just put up the bow and quiver?" Emily asked.

"You know I can't do that. The city is still too dangerous. I have to because no one else will." Brandon said boldly.

The vixen had a grim look on her face.

"With all of these cuts, bruises, and broken bones, I worry that one day you'll..." Emily said looking like she was about to cry.

Brandon then put his paws on the sides of Emily's face. He then looked sincerely into her eyes.

"Emily, as long as you will always be here for me, I swear that nothing will keep me away from you. Not even death." Brandon said romantically.

Brandon and Emily then kissed each other passionately. So passionately that it was a bit... heated for the teens. There were all pretty red-faced from watching this scene.

"Oh my." Falisha went looking a bit flustered.

"That's... some kissing." Mervin said looking red-faced.

"I'm... starting to see the PG-13 part of this movie now." Finnick said also looking red-faced.

"Yeah..." Nick and Judy said as they both sunk down a bit.

"Oh my god. There's still going. Don't they ever come up for air, eh?" Audran asked as he covered his face a bit.

"Makes you wonder if it's like that with all our parents." Ronnie said.

The kids, except Darson, then all started imaging their moms and dads and if they had ever made out like the two foxes in the movie. The image didn't sit well for any of them.

"Dude, why did you have to put that image in our heads?" Nick asked not looking too happy at Ronnie

"My mom's in heaven. So I don't think her and pop kissed like that." Darson said.

"What about **before** you were born?" Judy asked Darson.

Darson did know that his parents were really in love before he was born. So the images of them actually kissing started coming to his head. Which started to make him feel awkward.

"Dang it. Now you got me thinking." Darson said as he sunk down looking the same way as the others.

"Focus... on... the... movie." Flash told everyone.

"Yeah..." Everyone else went as they went back to watching the movie.

The teen continued watching more of the movie. Certain scenes led to more scenes. Like Hood gaining more of a reputation, a plot twist, the main villain being revealed, and the final battle which was exactly the scene happening right now. Hood was battling a mech controlled by a black middle-age rabbit, Burrower, with a few scars on his face, outside of some factory. Hood looked pretty injured as his costume was slightly torn. Even his mask fell off his face revealing his identity. But it seemed like it didn't matter since the villain already knew who he was.

"You fought well to make it as far as you did. Most of your kind wouldn't be able to do even a small amount of what you did. But give it up, Greene. You can't win." Burrower said.

"Heh. Sorry. Giving up was never really an option for me." Hood said boldly as he stood up and held his bow.

"That's the problem with your bloodline. None of you foxes are known when to give up." Burrower said.

"What do you know about my bloodline?" Hood asked.

"That a question you should ask yourself. For centuries, there was this clan of foxes that protected the weak. They were also skilled archers. That's how I figured out that you were one of them." Burrower stated. "Since your father is already gone, once you're gone too, your bloodline is gone forever and this city will be mine."

Offscreen, Finnick was not surprised by Burrower's actions.

"Typical power-hungry bad guy." Finnick said while shrugging.

Back with the movie, Hood had a serious look on his face.

"You don't get, do you? The city doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the people." Hood stated boldly. "So if my bloodline is meant to protect the city from people like you, then I'm willing to fight to my last arrow AND my last breath."

"Then that's how you will die." Burrower said before starting up his mech suit again.

Hood then shoots a few of his explosive arrows at the mech suit's arm while also keeping his distance. Burrower's mech shot out a few missions from it's back. Hood dodged the ones he could, but one blow up near here and the explosion pushed him back to a wall. He felt really banged up, but could still fight. However, as he reached his quiver for an arrow, he only had one arrow left... and it wasn't a good arrow for fighting.

"No..." Hood went looking grim.

"Look's like you're down to your last arrow." Burrower said while grinning devilishly.

Even with only one arrow left, Hood didn't give up. He also knew exactly how to use his last arrow. He takes the arrow and pulls it back with his bow. He then says "Mighty arrow, strike true." before releasing it.

In slow motion, the arrow flies to its destination. The arrow looked like it was intended for Burrower's head, hit the ground near him instead.

"Ha! Your last arrow... and you missed." Burrower said laughing.

Hood gave out a smile before saying "I never miss.".

"Are you blind or are you in denial?" Burrower asked.

"I'll answer your question with a question. How good is a rabbit's hearing?" Hood asked with a grin.

The arrow then let out a super high-pinch sound. Since rabbits have such good hearing, it was like the sound was scratching at his brain. It was causing him major pain.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Burrower went as he covered his ears.

This went Hood came rushing in and pulling out all the important wires from the mech suit causing it to not work anymore. He then pulls Burrower right out of his mech. Burrower needed the suit to fight, so Hood knew the fight was over and he won. The audience knew too and they all clapped. As Burrower banged his fist on the ground, he kept shouting out "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!".

"It's over. Just give up and atone for your crimes." Hood said to the beaten rabbit.

"No! Just like you, I won't give up until my last breath." Burrower said looking angry. Burrower didn't notice that his mech was slowly tipping over. "You good-for-nothing fox! You're no different from that father of yours! You and your whole bloodline!" The mech slowly tipped more and more.

"Burrower, move!" Hood said warning Burrower to move.

"No!" Burrower shouted. "Why should I listen to a f..."

Before he could finish, the mech tipped over completely and fell right on him. Squishing him to death. This gruesome death shocked the audience. Including Nick, Judy, and their friends.

"Well... he won't be in the sequel." Mervin stated.

"Nope." Finnick added as he shook his head.

Hood looked down and noticed Burrower's arm was out and totally lifeless. Meaning he really was dead. He felt that the twisted rabbit didn't need to die, but he also felt that this was the work of karma. Putting his bow on his back, he then left. Leaving the police to handle the rest.

Later, the movie went to the final scene. Brandon, in a black suit visiting his father's grave. He was holding an old wooden arrow and placed it near his father's tombstone.

"Dad, I know all about our bloodline now." Brandon said to his father's grave. "Guess you never told me because you didn't want me to carry the burden. Or maybe you did know and that's why you taught me archery. Either way, I choose to carry the burden. I want to be someone who brings light back to this dread city because there has to be someone. No matter what, I'll fight as Hood and I'll live on. That, I will swear to you." Brandon then sees Emily waiting for him. "I'll talk to you again soon, dad. Promise."

Brandon then walked over to Emily and the screen started to go up to the sky and fade to black. The movie then started showing the end credits. Meaning that the movie was over and it was time to go.

A few moments later, the teens stepped out theater. They all really enjoyed the movie.

"WOOO!" Nick shouted out. "That movie was just as great as I expected it to be."

"Yeah. It was really awesome." Mervin said agreeing with Nick.

"I'll admit that I thought it was just gonna be about foxes and arrows. But after watching it. There was definitely some depth in the story." Falisha said liking the movie.

"The depth was good. But the fight scenes were the best." Ronnie stated boldly.

"Like when he shoots that arrow from 200 ft and didn't miss?" Darson asked.

"Or how about the part when shot that arrow backward at that guy who tried to jump him?" Aurdan asked.

"Heh. He makes it look so easy." Finnick said.

Nick then noticed Judy hasn't said anything since the movie ended.

"Carrots, is something wrong?" Nick asked. "Didn't you like the movie?"

"Honestly, I didn't _like_ it." Judy told Nick.

She didn't like the movie even if everyone else did? It wouldn't be a big deal if Nick wasn't such a big fan of Hood. So if Judy didn't like the movie, it might put a dent in their relationship. But then, Judy finished what she needed to say.

"I **LOVED** IT!" Judy shouted out overly excited. "I see why you liked reading his comics so much. Hood is... awesome."

"So you did love the movie?" Nick asked looking relieved. "Thank goodness. I didn't want to break up with you because you didn't like my favorite superhero." Nick said in a lower volume.

"What was that?" Judy asked hearing Nick a bit.

"Nothing." Nick quickly uttered.

"What I liked about the movie wasn't the fighting. It was what Hood stood for." Judy said. "He didn't let being a fox stop him from doing what was right and he always fought for the side of justice. That's the kind of hero I want to be."

"Me too. Someone who gives people hope and doesn't give up." Nick asked.

"Haha. I don't think there no need for that." Darson said.

"Why?" Nick asked.

"Because you two are already like that." Darson said with a smile. "I mean, you both work hard and have this big dream about making the world a better place. I think that's more than what most of us can say about ourselves."

"Yup." Finnick said.

"It's true." Benji said.

"That may be true, but we still have a way to go before that." Judy stated.

"Still, I bet you guys are close to that." Darson said. "Especially you, Nick. Even without that costume on, you're practically the real-life Hood."

Nick would always get compliments from Judy and the others. So he was used to being called. But it still warmed his heart to hear people still say that about them. Ronnie then bumped Darson on his shoulder.

"Seriously, I can't get over how much you changed from that former bully we used to know." Ronnie said with a smirk.

"Oh come on. You act like I'm the first bully to befriend Nick or Judy." Darson said with firmness.

"He's not wrong. He's like the... 7th former bully we became friends with." Nick said recalling that he is friends with other former bullies.

"Gideon, Chuck, the other boys..." Judy said while counting her paws. "Yep. 7th person. It'll be higher by the time we're adults."

"No doubt." Nick said with a wide grin.

"Alright. Even after the movie snack. I'm pretty hungry." Benji said.

"Me too, actually." Mervin said on the same page as Benji.

"Let's go out for some burgers." Ronnie said.

"Does that mean you're buying?" Nick asked with a smirk.

"Not even. I already paid for your food when we were kids." Ronnie stated.

"Fine." Nick said while shrugging.

So after the movie, the gang went off to get some food. As they walked away from the theater, there was still one something that needed to be said.

"Nick, are you gonna change out of that costume before we head to the restaurant?" Judy asked.

"Not even." Nick replied.

"I should have guessed you would say that." Judy said not sounding surprised.

 **About time I finished another chapter. In your face, work, video games, and TV shows. Honestly, I'm trying my best to keep this story active. So hopefully, it won't take a month for the next one. I mean I already started writing a good chunk of it. So, no worries. Alright. That's all for now. See ya next chapter.**


	14. Shelter

**Alright. NEW UPDATE! FINALLY! Sorry for the wait. This one's going to be another slice-of-life chapter. To be doing chapters like this because I try to make things relatable. Nick, Judy, and the rest of the gang decided to spend a few days working at a Homeless Shelter and do some charity work. The idea was inspired by the FEAST shelter in Spider-Man for the PS4. Felt I wanted to do something that involved the gang doing little things like helping those who need and trying to make their lives a little better. Actually, guess it's no different from how some of my chapters are. Any, let's get to it. Also, don't be surprised if this chapter hit you in the feels. A little heads up.**

* * *

Getting off a bus in a part of Savanna Central was the gang of 11. Nick, Judy, Ben, Finnick, Flash, Mervin, Falisha, Audran, Ronnie, Darson, and Mimi. Nick then led the way as the rest followed.

"So, where exactly are we going again?" Finnick asked.

"I told you guys. We're heading to the Savanna Shelter For the Homeless today." Nick said.

"Today, we are going to help the unfortunate." Judy said with a smile.

"I know we all agreed to do a lot of stuff together, but I was expecting more of the _fun stuff_. Mall trips, arcade, restaurants, and the other stuff we teens do during the Summer." Mervin said.

"We still have plenty of time to do all of that later." Nick stated. "For now, we're helping the homeless."

"I think it will be a good thing to do." Audran said.

"I don't mind helping out a bit." Falisha said.

"I'm just happy to be included." Mimi said glad to be hanging out with new friends.

"So, exactly how long are we helping out the shelter?" Ronnie asked.

"Just for 2 to 3 hours... for the next 3 days." Nick said while adding one more thing.

"3 days?!" Everyone else shouted out.

"I thought this was a one-day thing!" Finnick said not sounding to happy.

"Nope. 3 days. Today, tomorrow, and tomorrow's tomorrow." Nick said while smirking.

"Why didn't you tell us that?" Ronnie asked sounding a bit peeved.

"Really? I thought I did." Nick said as he rubbed his chin while giving his usual sly grin.

"Look, I'm all for helping the helpless, but why now?" Darson asked. "Why all of a sudden?"

Nick and Judy then stopped walking and face their friends. The two have a bit of a sad, yet serious look on both of their faces.

"Can we be _really real_ with you guys?" Nick asked.

"Of course." Benji said.

Nick took a deep breath before speaking. "You guys remember May, Linc, and Ivy? The three bunnies that we met not too long ago?" Nick asked.

The gang started to remember the 3 bunnies that had pretty bad luck and got the picture why Nick and Judy wanted to do this. Mimi was the only one who didn't know who Nick was talking about.

"Uhhhhhhh... who are May, Linc, and Ivy?" Mimi asked.

"They were three bunnies from Judy's hometown, Bunnyburrow, that lived on the streets of Zootopia for over a year." Falisha stated.

"Their parents were divorced and they had an abusive father that they didn't want to deal with." Darson added.

"Oh..." Mimi said looking sad.

"Those three, and the rest of their siblings, had gone through a lot and it made us realize that while our lives may be perfect, it may not be the same with others." Nick stated.

"There are a lot of people out there that have it bad. People our age or younger, even adults have it bad. Getting laid off, short on money, losing their homes, losing family members, and other things we couldn't even imagine." Judy stated.

"The shelter is helping people with these problems. Not only giving them a place to rest but providing for them and helping them get their lives together." Nick said.

"When Nick and I become police officers, we want to make the world a better place. But that doesn't mean we have to wait until then. If we do some small things before becoming cops, then maybe the world will be a little better by then." Judy stated.

"Anyway, that's why we're doing this. If you don't want to join us, then we understand. We're not forcing you guys to join us." Nick said.

If Nick and Judy were trying to guilt-trip their friends, it was working. Benji and Mimi were already moved to tears with their words. Finnick just made a straight face as he shook his head.

"You two are doing that thing again. Trying to be good kids, helping others, and making others do the same." Finnick said firmly. "You two make me sick."

"We're taking that as a 'Finnick' compliment." Nick said smirking along with Judy.

"Guess we're spending the next 3 days at the shelter." Finnick said walking ahead of Nick and Judy.

"Not like we weren't going to." Ronnie stated as he started walking again as well.

"Nick, Judy, I didn't realize you were such noble souls." Mimi stated as she wipes a tear of her eyes.

"That's... Nick... and Judy... for you." Flash stated.

"Judy and Nick are pretty much our groups two catalysts." Falisha stated. "Without them, I don't think our little group wouldn't exist."

"Then thank god for them. Seriously, I REALLY needed friends." Mimi stated.

"We know." Everyone else went.

"Now, come on. It's right around the corner." Nick said.

After walking, the gang finally made it to Savanna Shelter For the Homeless. The building wasn't too bad. It was a large two-story brick building with doors tall enough to let a large mammal get through. With smaller doors for the much shorter mammals. Taking a few seconds to look at the building outside, the group then headed in to look at the inside.

In the front part inside was an applicate table and help center. There was a big line with 20 or so mammals of different species.

"So, this is the place." Finnick said.

"Oh my god. Look at that line." Falisha said while pointing at the line of mammals.

"Looks like they are all applying to stay here." Darson stated.

"I didn't realized there was so many people that needed homes in Zootopia. It's a bit downing, eh?" Aubrey said with his hoof near his chin.

"In a big city like this with millions and millions of mammals, it was to be actually expected." Ronnie stated.

"Come on, guys. We need to meet up with the director. I talked with her on the phone and told her we would be here to help today." Nick told his friends.

As Nick started walking, he wasn't looking where he was going. He then bumped into an very elderly fox in a wheelchair. The fox was a red fox, like Nick, but had some grey near the sides of his face and the top of his head. He also had glasses with black frames. He wore a green sweater vest over a white shirt and brown slacks.

"Hey! Watch where you are going, young tod." The old fox said sounding a bit cranky.

"Oh. Sorry, sir!" Nick said apologizing to the old fox. "I hope you're okay."

"I'm fine. Besides being paralyzed from the waist down and short-sighted, I'm just peachy." The old fox said with a hint of sarcasm.

The teens' eyes widen and didn't know how to respond to the fox's remark.

"Well... that's umm... good to hear." Finnick said trying to smile.

"Anyway, I hope you are good." Nick said apologizing again.

"I should have been dead years ago." The old fox randomly said firmly.

Once again, the teens' eyes widen and, once again, didn't know how to respond to that. Instead, they just let the fox mumbled as he wheeled away.

"That guy's a real ray of sunshine." Mervin said sarcastically.

"You would probably be that cranky too if you were that guys age." Darson said.

"That old guy did seem pretty ancient." Mimi said.

"Hopefully, we won't run into him too much. He didn't seem like a guy who likes to talk often." Judy said.

"Let's just find the director and talk with her." Nick said.

"Or... the director can find you." A female voice said getting the attention of the kids.

The gang then turned around to see who was speaking with them. The mammal was a female bobcat in a black business suit and a red tie. In predator perspectives, she looked quite beautiful around her 40s.

"You must be Nicholas Wilde." The bobcat said to Nick.

"That I am." Nick said proudly.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Elle Fay. The owner and director of Savanna Shelter." The bobcat said while shaking Nick's paw.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Fay. Call me Nick." Nick said with a smile. He then introduced the others. "These are my friends. Judy, Ben, Finnick, Falisha, Mervin, Flash, Ronnie, Audran, Darson, and Mimi. They're here to help too."

"Good. Quite a lot of friends you have. We don't mind having a bit more paws and hooves on deck." Ms. Fay said. "Follow me and I'll show you around our establishment."

The kids all nodded and followed Ms. Fay. She showed the kids around the shelter a bit. Starting off with showing them this big room where there were a bunch of different homeless mammals, beds, chairs, a big TV. It looked around the size of a school auditorium. As they walked passed a few mammals, Ms. Fay filled the kids in on the place.

"Here at the shelter, we do our best to provide for those down in their luck and need a place to rest their head." Ms. Fay said.

"It's really great that you have a place like this for people that don't have it as good as others." Judy said as she looked around.

"People at least need a bed to sleep in and a nice warm meal." Finnick said.

"Yes. But we don't just provide them food and shelter. We also give some of our guest special job training." Ms. Fay said.

"Job training?" Benji asked.

"See, we also teach them the qualifications needed for obtaining a job. We want to help them get back on their own feet so they can one day get a place of their own and better their life." Ms. Fay stated. "We also do something similar for the children." Ms. Fay then pointed at a corner of the room where there a few children writing notes and being taught by a female panda. "For families that can't afford to send their kids to school but still want them to get an education, we have actual teachers to help lecture them. Some of them were even able to make it back to school and are even attending college on a scholarship."

"Wow. That's incredible." Falisha said amazed.

"So you really do help the people in more ways than one." Nick said.

"If we knew about this place sooner, maybe we could have took May and her siblings here." Judy stated.

"What made you come up with such an amazing idea for a place like this?" Mimi asked Ms. Fay.

"My family always told me to help others who can't help themselves. But I also believe we should also help others so they **can** help themselves." Ms. Fay stated. "Like parents, their job is to raise their children so they can be ready to face the world on their own. That's kinda what we do here."

"You're quite amazing to have a place like this that helps so much." Judy said. "Zootopia is lucky to have you."

"I like to think so." Ms. Fay said smiling. "I'm just trying to do what I can to make the world a better place."

Making the world a better place been both Judy and Nick's dream since they were little kids. It was nice to know that they weren't the only one.

"You sound like Nick and Judy, ma'am." Darson said smiling.

"Yeah. They go on and on about wanting to make the world a better place." Finnick added. "It's like they're two broken records."

"If the cop thing doesn't work, maybe you should apply for a job here." Mervin stated to Nick and Judy.

"As nice as it would be, you should know we are set for being cops." Nick said boldly.

"Oh? You two want to be police officers?" Ms. Fay asked Nick and Judy.

"We're aiming to be the first fox and rabbit officers of the ZPD." Judy said proudly.

"What a huge goal for the both of you." Ms. Fay said impressed. "When you make it a reality, you both have my full support."

"Thank you." Nick and Judy said with smiles.

The group then stopped walking when they were near a corner.

"So Ms. Fay, what can my friends and I do to help today?" Nick asked.

"A few things, actually." Ms. Fay said. "Do any of you know how to cook? My kitchen staff is a bit short and we need a bit more help with prepping for meals. We do have a lot of mouths to feed."

"I know a few dishes I can cook." Falisha said while raising a paw.

"Ooh! Ooh! I know a TON of recipes." Mimi said eagerly. "Let me help. Let me help."

"Okay then. You two can head to the kitchen then." Ms. Fay said while pointing at the kitchen area.

"Alright. Let's go, Mims." Falisha said to the skunk girl.

"Yay!" Mimi said still sounding eager.

Falisha and Mimi waved goodbye to the others as they headed to the kitchen.

"We also had a shipment of supplies and donations that we need some help moving in here." Ms. Fay said. She then looked at Ronnie, Audran, and Ben. "You three seem like big and strong boys. Care to help?"

"Sure we can help move a few things. Right, guys?" Ronnie asked Audran and Benji.

"Right." Audran and Benji said willing to help.

"Our guys should be outside. Help them as much as you can." Ms. Fay said.

The three nodded and headed out. Ms. Fay then looked at Flash. Since he was a sloth, she expected him to be pretty slow. Not really ideal for most things. But she did have an idea that would be up to Flash's... speed.

"We do have a few sloth guests that are you could help with. If you are willing to." Ms. Fay said to Flash.

Flash waited a few seconds before saying "Leave it to me, Ms. Fay. I'll do my best." at a normal speed and started slowly walking to where the sloths were.

"Wait? Did he just..." Ms. Fay said after hearing Flash talk normally.

"Don't overthink it." Nick, Judy, Finnick, Mervin, and Darson told her.

"I'll... take your word for it." Ms. Fay said taking the kids' words to heart. "Now the rest of you, would you be kind enough to help the rest of residences here in any way you can."

"How exactly?" Mervin asked.

"You know, talk with them, listen to their stories, tell them yours, make them laugh, anything to lift their spirits." Ms. Fay said.

"We can do that." Mervin said. "Nick's the funny one, but I'm a very good second."

"Ehhh..." Judy, Finnick, and Darson said with a 'more or less' gesture.

"Nick's not even that funny to begin with." Darson stated.

"Heh heh. I hear that." Finnick said smiling and agreed with Darson.

"Funnier than you two fools." Nick said looking a bit peeved with Finnick and Darson.

"Ehhh..." Judy said giving the 'more or less' gesture.

"Et tu, Carrots?" Nick said looking a bit hurt.

"Oh, don't be like that, sweetie." Judy said as she hugged Nick's side. "You're funny enough."

"I'll take your word for it. Only because you're cute." Nick said hugging her back.

"Come on, let's say hi to some random strangers." Finnick said as he starts walking.

Finnick, Mervin, and Darson started walking. Nick and Judy were about to follow them but were halted by Ms. Fay.

"Just a moment, you two." Ms. Fay said to Nick and Judy.

"Hmm?" Nick and Judy went.

"Looking at you two, I can tell that you are both the center of your little group. It also seems like you are both the kind of kids that inspire everyone you meet." Ms. Fay said.

"That's not untrue." Judy admitted.

"Why do you ask?" Nick asked.

"See, I could you two's help with one of our _older_ guests. He's one of the mammals that's been here the longest." Ms. Fay said.

"An older guest? What's he like?" Nick asked.

"Well for starters,... he's a fox... like you." Ms. Fay said awkwardly.

Once Nick and Judy heard that, Judy's nose twitched and Nick's ears twitched. They recall meeting an old fox when they first came in. Was it the same cranky old man?

"This old fox wouldn't have to be ancient, in a wheelchair, and the kind of old guy that would complain about everything?" Nick asked.

"Oh. You already met Mr. Grimey." Ms. Fay said.

"Yeeeeeah. I bumped into him a few minutes ago." Nick stated.

"Not the nicest person we met." Judy added.

"Sorry. Guess when you are 94, you then to be... grouchy." Ms. Fay stated.

"94?!" Nick and Judy shouted out.

"Man, he really **is** ancient." Nick stated.

"Yeah. Even he knows it." Ms. Fay admitted. "But we shouldn't call him that. Anyway, Mr. Grimey has been in the shelter longer than most of the mammals here. As you could guess, his behavior doesn't make him the most liked person."

"So... you basically want us to make him more... _palatable_?" Nick asked.

"If you can." Ms. Fay asked.

Nick and Judy didn't know they could do with someone like the old tod. But they have been known to change people before.

"Most of my friends are former bullies until I change them. He's a lot older, but I think Judy and I are up for the job." Nick said looking confident.

"You can count on us, Ms. Fay." Judy said sounding determined.

"Thank you. Good luck." Ms. Fay said before walking away. She also muttered something else. "Cause boy, will you need it."

Judy happens to hear that last part because of her hearing.

"She said we're gonna need that luck." Judy said to Nick.

"I think we'll be fine. I'm pretty sure we are the most luckiest mammals in the city." Nick stated. "Seriously, have you seen our luck?"

"Things do seem to work out for us." Judy admitted.

So, the first day at the Savanna Shelter had begun for the kids. Falisha and Mimi were at the kitchen with a few other chefs with white chef attire. They were all pigs that looked exactly alike. So they were most likely triplets.

"So, you are the two helping us out in the kitchen. I'm Sal." One of the pigs said.

"I'm Mal." The second pig said.

"And I'm Al." The third pig said.

"Together we are the Swinworth triplets." The three pigs said at the same time.

"Eeeeee! Triplets! That's so cool!" Mimi said in awe by the three pigs.

"Nice to meet you. It was kinda obvious that you were triplets." Falisha said awkwardly. "So you three are the main chefs?"

"That's right." Sal stated.

"We help prep and cook all the meals here." Mal said.

"Breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Al said.

"Cool. It's very impressive that you make enough meals for everyone here." Falisha said.

"Yes, but it's not easy." Al admitted.

"We have to make food that not only everyone will enjoy, but satisfy them too." Sal stated.

"You two do know a few things about cooking, right?" Mal asked.

"I have cooked a few meals with my mom and sister." Falisha stated. "What about you, Mi..."

As Falisha was about to ask Mimi about her cooking experience, she noticed that Mimi was already scoping the kitchen to see what was available. She started with the vegetables on the counter.

"Tomatoes, radishes, bell peppers, spinach, mint, kale, cabbage..." Mimi thought.

"Uhhhh... Mimi?" Falisha said trying to get her attention.

Mimi then walked over to a cabinet that stored a variety of spices. Salt, pepper, cumin, sumac, turmeric, paprika, and allspice just to name a few.

"Plenty of seasonings..." Mimi thought.

"Uhhh... Mimi?" Falisha said trying to get her attention again.

"Is your friend always like this?" Sal asked.

"I couldn't say. We're still pretty much new friends." Falisha told them.

Mimi then walked over to the fridge and sees a huge stock of things to use. She even found some premade pasta dough.

"Alright. I got it." Mimi said looking eager. She then looked at the 3 pigs. "Mr. Sal, Mr. Al, and Mr. Mal, may I cook something with what you have? I have an excellent dish that everyone will surely love."

"Umm... sure." Sal said.

Mimi then took off her regular glasses and switched to a different kind that were more of a rectangle shape. Mimi then had a serious and confident look on her face.

"Allow me to show you how I cook." Mimi said to everyone.

Mimi first washed her paws before she started cooking. She then picked up a knife and started chopping some vegetables. Tomatoes, onions, and a few others in one bowl, Spinach, kale, parsley, and others in another. Her focus then went to the pasta dough. She flattens the dough up nicely and then put it through a pasta maker. Out came some nice looking noodles. As Falisha watched Mimi cook, she was beyond amazed.

"She's so calm and focused. There are no missteps in her cooking. She's like a totally different person." Falisha thought. "Is this really the same ditzy girl I first met?"

"Falisha..." Mimi said while rolling out more noodles. "Start boiling water for me."

"Umm... sure!" Falisha said understanding.

Falisha didn't mind being Mimi's sous chef and helping her out with her dish. As the water boiled, Mimi dropped the noodles into the boiling water and added salt. After pureeing tomatoes into a red sauce and green ingredients into a green sauce, she heats up the sauces into different pots. After a couple of minutes of boiling, the spaghetti was ready. Falisha helped strain the noodles with a strainer. Mimi then mixed some of the noodles with the red sauce and some with the green sauce. She put out for 4 plates and on each plate were the 2 types of spaghetti. The red and the green.

"It's done." Mimi said to everyone. "Spaghetti 2-ways. Go on. Dig in."

"Okay." Falisha said.

Falisha and the Swinworth triplets each picked up a plate and a fork.

"So, we got spaghetti with two different sauces." Falisha said. She then started to get a whiff of the aroma from both sauces. "Smells good. Let's try the red sauce first."

Falisha and the Swinworths spooled up some of the noodles with the red sauce. The each a forkful of the spaghetti and had a taste. When their tongues hit the sauce, it was like tasting heaven.

"Sooooo good..." Falisha said in awe.

"Sooooo delicious..." The Swinworth triplets said as much in awe as Falisha.

"The red sauce is very good. The sweetness from the tomatoes along with the combination of herbs and seasonings blend really well with the noodles. It's such a savory sauce." Falisha stated.

"Now, how about trying the green sauce?" Mimi suggested Falisha and the Swinworth Triplets to do.

Falisha and the Swinworths did just want Mimi suggested and spooled up some of the noodles with the green sauce. As they each gave the spaghetti with green sauce a try, like the red sauce, they were in total bliss.

"Wow! It's so good." Falisha said in awe. "You can taste all the herb and green veggies you put into the sauce. There's so much flavor."

"I detected a certain creaminess in the sauce." Al said as she slurped up some more noodles.

"I do too." Mal said. "Is that..."

"Yep." Mimi said before holding up an avocado. "I used some avocado in the sauce."

"Avocados have a high-fat content, yet I can tell mixed in some cream to smoothing the sauce out." Sal said.

"Uh huh." Mimi said with a smile. "Once I missed up the green veggies, I blended them up with the avocados and cream. Then, I thicken up the sauce by heating it up. After adding a pinch of salt and mixing the noodles in, it was ready."

"The red sauce is very savory while the green sauce is very creamy. Either sauce could please anyone's palette." Falisha said before having more.

"Young lady, how did you learn how to cook so well?" Al asked.

"From my dad." Mimi answered. "He actually the head chef of a 4-star restaurant. He taught me to cook when I was 4. So I have 9 years of cooking experience."

"Woah! 9 years?" Falisha asked.

"Yeah. I know how to wield a knife, prep food, and the proper ways to cook them." Mimi said as she takes off her cooking glasses.

Falisha was really amazed by Mimi's skills as a cook. The tiger believed that she was a great cook, but not even close to Mimi's level.

"By the way..." Mimi said as she puts on her regular glasses on. "Did you guys really liked my dish? Like, for realies? Cause this was the first time I ever cooked for anyone else besides my family." Mimi was acting her normal ditzy self again.

"Haha! Don't worry. It was amazing, Mimi." Falisha said while patting Mimi on the shoulder.

"Oh good." Mimi said looking relieved.

"Now, how about we make some more? Got a lot of mouths to feed so we need to make more of this tasty pasta fast." Al said to the teens.

"Will do." Mimi and Falisha said willing to happy.

Meanwhile, as they were continuing to cook, Ben, Ronnie, and Audran were outside of the shelter helping more a box of supplies with two strong looking male and female black bulls. The bulls were a married couple went by Mr. and Mrs. Vine. Ronnie, Audran, and Benji were currently trying to lift up a pretty heavy box.

"Come on, you boys. Lift with your knees." Mr. Vine said.

"We're... trying..." Benji said feeling the strain of heavy lifting.

"Jeez, what's in this box? Bricks?" Ronnie asked complaining a bit.

"Those are actually blankets." Mrs. Vine stated.

"SERIOUSLY?!" Ronnie and Benji shouted out in disbelief.

"Must be heavy blankets, eh?" Audran said as he still tries to help lift the box.

After a few more boxes, the three boys seems to be done with the box moving. The three were all so exhausted that they laid on the floor.

"*huff**huff* OXYGEN!" Benji shouted out after taking a few breaths.

"And you guys do this all the time, Mr. and Mrs. Vine?" Ronnie asked.

"Uh huh." Mr. and Mrs. Vine went.

"Every day, we need supplies like clothing and blankets for the people staying at the shelter. We offend get donations from other mammals that do want or need these anymore. When it comes to the shelter, we get what we can get. Even if it's a hand-me-down." Mr. Vine said.

"Wouldn't it be better if you just got new stuff?" Benji asked.

"New stuff costs money. Our job is to spend as little as possible, but still enough to provide for the essentials." Mr. Vine stated.

"Makes sense." Audran stated.

"Guess it wouldn't be much of a homeless shelter if you had to keep spending money for essentials." Benji said.

"Still, it's nuts that you have to lift heavy boxes like that all day, every day." Ronnie said as he rolled his arms. "I consider myself as the strongest guy in our group and even I don't think I even have a fraction of the strength you two have."

"You're still young. Just give yourself some more time to grow." Mrs. Vine said to Ronnie.

"You seem like the kind of kid who likes to defend his friends all the time." Mr. Vine said.

"Yeah. In a way, I was always the group's bodyguard." Ronnie stated. "Most bullies would back off, not wanting to mess with a bear. Papa bear always said ' _The strong should look out for the ones that aren't_.'."

"That's true. But who looks after the strong when they need help?" Mr. Vine asked.

"Sometimes, it's okay for the strong to ask for help." Mrs. Vine said.

"Sounds like you know from experience." Audran said.

"We... actually do." Mr. Vine said looking a bit sad all of the sudden. "Not too long ago, the Mrs. and I used to live here in the shelter."

"What?" Ronnie, Audran, and Benji went surprised to hear that. This new information really shocked Ronnie, Audran, and Benji.

"You both used to live here?" Benji asked shocked.

"Not too long ago, yes." Mr. Vine admitted.

"What happened?" Ronnie asked.

"I was laid off on my job. Soon after, bills piled up and we couldn't afford our apartment." Mr. Vine said.

"Elle met us at a time and told us he could stay here at the shelter. She even hired us to help out a bit." Mrs. Vine stated. "They helped us get back on our feet and we got our life back on track."

"So you guys still work here as your way to pay back the shelter for what it did for you." Ronnie said with a smile.

"Uh-huh. This shelter has done so much for us. Helping them out is just our way of returning the favor." Mr. Vine stated. "I rather not have the Mrs. work so hard, tho."

"Why so?" Benji asked.

"Don't mind him. He's just worried since we're trying to have a baby." Mrs. Vine stated.

"Oh!" Benji, Ronnie, and Audran said a bit surprised to hear that.

"You're trying to have a baby?" Ronnie asked.

"No luck so far. But we are still very hopeful." Mr. Vine stated. "We wouldn't be able to try if things were still bad for us."

"Well, that's good. We hope you are able to have a baby soon." Benji said. "Our friend Nick has a baby brother and sister and we all love them."

"Which is why we are hoping to be blessed with a little one soon." Mrs. Vine stated. "We want to experience the joy and hard work that comes with being parents."

"We hope that you are able to have a kid soon." Ronnie said with a smile.

After Ronnie said that, he noticed that Mrs. Vine was trying to lift up another box. Seeing this, Ronnie immediately dashed over to her and decided to lift the box for her.

"Wait! If you really are trying to have a baby, then you shouldn't work so hard." Ronnie stated.

Benji and Audran then followed Ronnie's lead and wanted to help lift the box.

"We'll help out too." Benji said eagerly.

"It's the least we can do, eh?" Audran said.

As the three attended to lift the box,... it was clear that they wouldn't be able to because of the heaviness. Not even the three of them together could lift the box.

"Okay, WHAT IS IN THIS BOX?! DUMBBELLS?!" Ronnie shouted out.

"Yes, actually." Mr. and Mrs. Vine said.

"SERIOUSLY?!" Ronnie, Audran, and Benji shouted out.

"Homeless people need to work out too, you know?" Mr. Vine stated.

While Ronnie, Audran and Benji were still busy with boxes, the others were still helping around the shelter. Flash was teaching the other sloths how to speak fast like normal mammals. Finnick was with some of the younger kids that he was actually a bit taller than. Some of the mice kids tended to climb on him. He wasn't thrilled by it. Darson was walking around the shelter seeing if there was anyone who needed help.

As he walked, his attention went to a female adult white coyote. The coyote had one some... unusual 60's attire. She had a tie-dye shirt, brown fringe vest, a sunflower near her left ear, and bluebell bottoms on. It was... offputting for Darson to see someone wearing clothes from a bygone era. Still, Darson felt that there was something interesting about this woman. So, he walks over to speak with her.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Darson said to get the coyote's attention.

"Oh. Salutations, young one." The coyote said in a sort of layback tone. "Oh my. I do hope you're not another young one who has to deal with misfortune."

"No. My misfortune ended long ago." Darson stated. "I'm just here because two of my friends wanted us to help out around here."

"Splendid." The coyote said smiling.

Darson couldn't shake a feeling she had about this woman. He was starting to get imaging of his deceased mom. Was it because this woman reminded him of her? He then looked and noticed that she also had on a purple hexagon crystal necklace.

"Hey! That's a chakra healing crystal pendant." Darson said.

"Good eye." The coyote said impressed as she holds out the crystal. "Most people only see it as a pretty gem."

"Yeah. I know all about them and their healing properties." Darson said. He started getting into the spiritual stuff his mother was into.

"My. Children your age aren't really into that kind of stuff. You are quite a unique little flower." The coyote stated with a smile.

"It's... weird." Darson said still not shaking the feeling he had with this coyote. "I believe in spiritual connections and while I don't know who you are, I feel like I do."

"I... feel that way too. You remind me of someone I..." The coyote said before pausing. It seems she was bothered by something she didn't want to bring up. "Nevermind. We should probably introduce ourselves to each other properly. I like to go by Sunflower, but my birth name is Darlene."

"Huh. Your name is a bit like mine. It's Darson." Darson said introducing himself.

The moment Darson said what his name was, Darlene's whole body started to twitch. She then grabbed onto Darson's shoulders which started to freak the young coyote out.

"Hold on! Are you... are you... _Videl's Moon Lotus_?" Darlene asked.

Now Darson was the shocked one.

"That's... my mom's name... and that's what she called me." Darson stated. "How did you..."

Before Darson could finish what he wanted to say, Darlene went over to Darson and hugged him really tightly. For some reason, she seemed really happy to see Darson.

"IT REALLY IS YOU! OH, HOW THE WORLD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS. IT EVEN BROUGHT US TOGETHER HERE ON ALL PLACES!" Darlene said sounding too happy.

"Umm... ma'am?" Darson said as he feels that Darlene was hugging him way too tight. "I usually don't let strangers hug me this long."

"Oh. Sorry." Darlene said as she let go of Darson.

"So, you actually know me and my mother?" Darson asked.

"I did." Darlene said.

"Then... you must also know..." Darson said looking sad.

"Yes... I already know that she has completed her journey on this earth a long time ago." Darlene said in a saddened tone. She then placed her paw on Darson's shoulder. "But at least she was able to bring you in this world."

Darson slowly put a smile on his face. He always felt that his being was a bad thing. But he was glad that he was wrong about that.

"Come. Let's sit down and talk." Darlene said as she wanted to speak with Darson some more.

The two then sat on some empty seats and faced each other.

"As you can tell, your mother named you similar to me." Darlene stated. "I remember seeing you for the first when you were just a little baby. I even held you a few times."

"How come I don't really know who you are?" Darson asked. "I mean, dad didn't like to talk about mom before... and I feel that you would have visited me at least once or twice if you really were close to my mom."

"That's... a difficult question to ask. But you deserve an answer." Darlene said looking a bit sad. "As I said, _Water Lily_ , your mother's flower name, were close. So when she died, I felt... emotional about it. Maybe more so than your father. I did see you shortly after you were born. I even took care of you a few times. But one day, when I saw you smile, it reminded so much of your mother. It hit me that she wasn't here anymore and... it hurt. So I thought it was best to leave and I told your father not to say anything about me to you when you got older."

"I see." Darson said thinking that everything added up. "Can I ask you something else too? How did you end up here?"

"Heh. Compared to your mother, I was a bit more of a free-spirit than her. The problem with being a free spirit... life isn't free." Darlene stated. "So when the money well ran dry, I had to come here."

"You didn't have a job or anything?" Darson asked.

"I mostly sold spiritual items at the farmer's market. It doesn't sell as well at this time and age." Darlene stated. "I do have another job at a local cafe thanks to the people here."

"Oh. Well, that's good."Darson said.

"I've recently have been trying to get my own place again." Darlene said. "Still waiting for the green light. The shelter has been plentiful, but I don't want stay here too long."

"Seems that you might be doing better than most of the mammals here." Darson said looking at some of the other guests

"Even so, one can do good with more fortune. It's why I often give out a few good luck charms to them. Maybe that's why I'm been slightly on the poor side." Darlene admitted as she scratched the back of her head.

"That's a pretty believable reason." Darson stated.

"Anyway, let's talk about something else, shall we?" Darlene asked.

"Oh yes. You must have a million stories with you and my mom." Darson said looking excited.

"A million and more if you are willing to listen." Darlene said with a smile.

"I am." Darson said happily.

So Darson talked with Darlene to hear stories about his mother. While that was happening, Nick and Judy had to find the old fox, Mr. Grimey. They were able to find the old tod in his wheelchair looking like most grouchy old men do.

"That's him." Judy said to Nick.

"He wasn't too inviting the last time. Let's see if things will be different this time." Nick said.

The two then walked over to the elderly fox and introduced themselves.

"Excuse us? Mr. Grimey, right?" Judy said politely.

"Huh? Who are you?" Mr. Grimey said before taking a few seconds to remember Nick and Judy. "Oh. You're the young tod and doe from before."

"That... would be us." Nick replied.

"What do you young'uns want?" Mr. Grimey asked with a bit of an attitude.

"Uhhh... well... our friends and us are volunteering here in the shelter for the next few days and..." Nick explained before he was stopped by Mr. Grimey.

"Let me guess, the head of this place already told you about me and that she wants you two to help make me a 'happy camper'." Mr. Grimey said guessing right.

"I... wouldn't say she used the words, 'happy camper'." Nick said smiling awkwardly.

"Pssh! If that little kitten were my age, she would be the same way I am." Mr. Grimey stated.

"You know she runs this place. The least you can be is grateful that she took you in." Judy said sounding defensive for Ms. Fay.

"Don't misunderstand. I am. Giving an old fox like me somewhere to lay my head. However, that doesn't make life any easier. Especially when you're a fox." Mr. Grimey stated.

At that point, Nick and Judy got one of the reasons why he was so grumpy. Foxes in the city have always had it bad. So he must have had backlash for most of his life. The backlash that might have been even worse at the time.

"I guess that makes sense." Nick said as he scratches the back of his head.

"Of course it does." Mr. Grimey stated. "Anyway, since you young'uns are volunteering, that means you two are willing to help me with anything I need, right?"

"That's correct." Judy replied.

"Then help me this old man out with a few things." Mr. Grimey said. "Do well and I might be very grateful."

Nick could hear a hint of slyness in the old fox's tone. A slyness he knows all too well since he would often use it. But... it wasn't like they weren't going to help him.

"What do you need, Mr. Grimey?" Nick asked.

"First, no formalities. Don't call me Mr. Grimey, sir, or old man. Call me by my first name, Richard." Mr. Grimey said firmly.

"Okay, Richard." Nick said calling the old tod by his first name. "I'm Nick."

"I'm Judy." Judy said saying her name.

"Nicholas and Judith, huh?" Richard said.

"Actually, we prefer Nick and Judy." Nick stated.

"Aren't Nick and Judy short for Nicholas and Judith?" Richard asked.

"I mean, they are our actual names, but..." Judy tried to explain.

"Come on, you two young'uns." Richard said as he already starting rolling his wheelchair. "Time to put you two to work."

"I can already tell that this won't be fun." Nick said already dreading how this was going to go.

"Let's go, _Nicholas_." Judy said calling Nick by his actual name.

So Nick and Judy spend their time helping the elderly Richard Grimey. The two mostly helped with the minor stuff he needed help with. From cleaning up his wheelchair, helping him eat his food, and... giving him a foot massage. Then Richard mentions that a food massage doesn't matter to him because he's paralyzed from the bottom down. He can't feel it even if he wanted to. Realizing that nearly set both Nick and Judy off. Once three hours passed, the gangs' volunteer work was over. While it was Nick and Judy's idea, everyone else seemed to enjoy their day more than the two.

But this was only day 1. They still have two more days of helping out at the shelter. The group then all went to their homes. Except for Judy, who chose to hang out with Nick for a bit and have dinner at his house. Gwen also came over for dinner. Judy and Gwen tend to have dinner with Nick's family almost every night. Tonight was pizza night. John had made a large pizza with mushrooms, cheese, black olives, and yellow bell peppers. The twins just had mashed baby food.

Nick and Judy violently bit and pulled out the cheese of their slices of pizza. Gwen, John, and Frankie could tell that they didn't seem too happy.

"Uhhh... I know the pizza's good and all, but we have plenty more." Gwen stated to Nick and Judy.

"Something happened when you were at the shelter?" John asked.

"Ugh! It was this old geezer we were helping out today." Nick said as he looked peeved.

"Now Nick, you shouldn't call someone that just because he's old." Frankie said as she feeds the twins.

"But he was so demanding and he was even thankful." Judy stated. "He was also pretty grouchy. We'd rather just help others around the shelter, but Ms. Fay what us specifically to help change the old fox's attitude."

"You two are known for that." John said before taking a bite out of his pizza.

"Yeah and I have Judy to blame for that. Also you two for being such good and loving parents." Nick stated looking a bit mad.

"You're welcome?" John said not sure if he could take it as a compliment or not.

"I think you two are taking it over proportion." Frankie said.

"You wouldn't say that if you met the guy." Judy stated.

"Mr. and Mrs. Wilde, maybe you know this fox." Gwen said.

"Just because we're foxes, doesn't mean we all know each other." Frankie stated.

"The fox's name is Richard Grimey." Nick said.

"Sssssssssss... ooooooooooh..." Both John and Frankie went after hearing that name.

"By that, I'm assuming you both know him." Nick said taking a wild guess.

"He... was in my old neighborhood when I grew up." Frankie admitted.

"When we were only a bit older than you and started dating, the old geezer caught me sneaking out with your mother and ratted me out to your grandpa." John stated looking he still held a grudge. "I couldn't see your mom for 2 weeks."

"You snuck out?" Nick asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"I was still in a bit of my _rebel_ phase." John admitted. "Still, I'm surprised he's still alive. He was ancient when we were kids."

"Johnny!" Frankie said thinking John shouldn't say that.

"Oh come on. You thought it too." John said. "Didn't your parents ground you for that?"

"They did." Frankie said started to be the mad one. "The one time I try to be a bad girl and I got caught. The old fart."

"Sounds like you're not a fan of him either." Nick said.

"Nope." Both John and Frankie said.

"Do you know anything about why he's such a grump?" Judy asked.

"We couldn't tell you. From what we know, he's not married or has kids." John said before sipping his drink. "I think he has family outside of the city though."

"The shelter is for the homeless. Does that mean something happened to him?" Nick asked.

"Probably." John said. "Most elderly mammals either live with family or retirement home. But if he's living in a shelter..."

"What could have happened to him?" Nick asked.

Nick and Judy started to ponder about Richard. What did happen to him that made the fox have to live in a shelter for the homeless? Why that instead of a retirement home? They were questions that Nick and Judy would probably have to ask him tomorrow.

Day 2 of the group helping out at the shelter. The group all decided to do the same thing they did yesterday. Falisha and Mimi helped around the kitchen, Benji, Ronnie, and Audran helped moved a few things, and Darson spoke with Darlene some more about his mother.

Nick and Judy still had to spend time with Richard Grimey in hopes to lighten up his mood. Ms. Fay tells them that he's somewhere at the far end of the shelter. Neither Nick and Judy seemed too thrilled to talk with the elderly fox.

"Ugh! Do we have to see the old grump again?" Nick asked Judy. "I know we agreed to, but can't we just help someone else?"

"We promised Ms. Fay. We can't go back on a promise we made and you know it." Judy stated.

"I know. I know." Nick said agreeing with Judy. "But still..."

At that moment, before Nick could finish, Judy's ears perked up as she hears something.

"Wait!" Judy said as she halted Nick from walking up more. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Nick asked.

"I think I hear... singing." Judy said.

As they walked follow, Nick started to hear the singing too. They walked more and more as the singing got louder. They were surprised when they found out what the source of the singing was. It was Richard. The fox sang as he tapped on the handle on his wheelchair. The way he was singing, his voice sounded much different. It was short of angelic. By his tone, it sounded like he was singing a swing-style song.

 _Another day,_

 _Another time,_

 _Can being born_

 _Really be a crime?_

 _A different world,_

 _A different view,_

 _Wish we could start_

 _Our life anew._

 _We can't change what happens in the past see_

 _Or that our life is here to last._

 _I am born what you see_

 _But is what you see truly me?_

As Richard hummed the rest of the song, Nick and Judy walked closer but stayed quiet. They actually thought he was a really good singer and his lyrics said a lot. As his humming ends, Nick and Judy clap a bit. Not too much, but loud enough to get Richard's attention.

"Oh. It's you two again." Richard replied. "I'm surprised. Most people stay away from me after the first day."

"We have a bit of resilience." Nick stated.

"Once upon a time, yes." Richard responded. "Waaaaaay before you young'uns were even born... and much different from the music you listen to. Not that _rickity-racket or hippity-pop_."

" _Rickity-Racket? Hippity-Pop_?" Judy said a bit confused.

"I think you mean, rock, hip-hop, and/or pop." Nick replied correcting the old fox.

"Eh. It's all the same. In my day, the real music to listen to was _Swing_." Richard stated.

"Swing Music? My dad's actually a fan of that." Nick stated. "Oh! That reminds me. My parents said that they actually know you. Do you remember a Francine or Johnathan Wilde?"

"At my age, I can barely remember what happened yesterday." Richard stated firmly.

"That... is probably true." Nick admitted.

"However..." Richard said as he fixes his glasses and gets a closer look at Nick. "... your face does remind me of another fox."

"Nick, maybe you should be more precise." Judy suggested.

"*sigh* Well... mom said you lived in her old neighborhood and pop said you caught him and mom when they were sneaking out and told my pop-pop." Nick stated.

"Ahh... those rebellious fox teenagers. I remember them now." Richard said as he started recalling who John and Frankie were. "So you're actually their baby boy?"

"I am." Nick replied while nodding.

"How old are you?" Richard asked.

"13." Nick answered sounding a bit concerned.

"Any older siblings?" Richard asked.

"Younger, yes. Older, no." Nick asked. He then raised up an eyebrow and asked. "Why?"

"You... seem like a fair age. I was worried that your father may have... you know." Richard said.

Richard assumed that when they were younger, John may have gotten Frankie..., you know, pregnant went they were still teenagers.

"HEY! WOAH WOAH WOAH!" Nick shouted. "My parents were responsible, even as teens. That's why they got married and THEN had me..." Nick then uttered "... 9 months later.".

"Hmm. Is that so?" Richard asked. He then looked at Judy. "What about you, bunny? Assuming you are from the country..."

"My parents got married legitimately... and waited at least 3 months before deciding to have kids." Judy said boldly.

"But did they ever stopped?" Richard asked while raising an eyebrow.

Judy waited 4 seconds before saying "No..." in defeat. Nick did some snickering afterward. "Don't laugh, Nick." Judy said looking a bit mad.

"Sorry. But you know your parents had too many kids." Nick said. He then walked behind and wrapped his arms around Judy. "Not that I'm complaining since you're one of them."

Richard couldn't help but wonder about Nick and Judy.

"You two... aren't a couple, are you?" Richard asked.

Nick and Judy assumed since Richard was one of those old people that liked things the 'old ways', it probably wasn't a good idea for Nick and Judy. So as much as they didn't want to, they decided to keep the fact about them being a couple a secret.

"No. Of course not." Nick said as he let goes of Judy.

"We're just really close. We have been best friends since we were 9." Judy stated.

"Oh. Cause I was starting to think you two were in a relationship." Richard said.

"Whaaaaat? A fox and a bunny? Don't be senile." Nick said trying to sound believable.

"Yeah. Nick's way too fluffy for me." Judy said pointing at him with her thumb.

"And she's way too adorable short for me." Nick said with a grin.

Judy felt that she should be mad at Nick for saying that. But chose to let it slide for now because it seems like they were able to make Richard believe them.

"Well, alright. But I still feel that it's surprising that a fox and rabbit can get along so well." Richard said as he started rolling his wheelchair. "Now, assuming you are both here to do the same thing as yesterday, I have a few things I need help with. So come on."

As Richard rolled off, Nick and Judy wanted to say something to each other.

"Knowing how some mammals are, we better keep our relationship a secret from the geezer for now." Nick stated to Judy.

"I agree. Someone like him is bond to say something like ' _Foxes should be with foxes and bunnies should be with bunnies.'_. It will be such a pain but we got to do it.." Judy stated.

"Yeah." Nick said nodding. "Oh. By the way..." Nick and Judy both then held each other's paws as they looked at each other and sound apologetic. "I'm sorry for what I just said."

"I'm sorry too. I love your fluffiness." Judy said.

"And I love your adorable shortness." Nick added.

After that, they spend their time helping out Richard. Surprisingly, he had lesser for them to do than yesterday. The main thing he really wanted them to do was clean his wheelchair. It wasn't too bad. Some spray and a rag, it made the job easy. As Nick was cleaning the wheel, Richard looked at Nick a bit and couldn't help but think about John.

"Now that I remember, that John-boy was always visiting Francine. I was worried that Francine may have fallen for the wrong kind of guy. Yet over time, I notice that the two really cared about each other." Richard said.

"They always said that they were high school sweethearts." Nick said as he wipes the wheels of the chair. "Even in my pop's 'bad boy phase', he was always an honest fox. Mom helped him stay that way."

"Is that so?" Richard asked.

"Mr. Wilde has always been a completely honest mammal. Most people call him 'Honest John' or 'Wide Smiles Wilde'." Judy stated.

"Hmm. I suppose the boy and girl grew up well if they were able to have a tod like you." Richard said.

Nick and Judy then froze after hearing that. Compared to yesterday, Richard was being nice to them.

"Was that... was that a compliment?" Nick asked Richard sounding surprised.

"What? Am I too grumpy or too much of an 'old geezer' to give you one?" Richard asked.

"No. I'll take what I can get." Nick said with a smile.

After one final wipe down, Richard's wheelchair was looking nice and clean.

"Done." Nick and Judy said together.

"Ehh." Richard went not sounding too impressed. "It will do."

Nick and Judy didn't seem to happy with Richard's comment. He was basically saying ' _You call .this clean? You young'uns can do better than that_.'. But the two rather not do any more work. So they let it slide.

"Alright. Anything else you want us to do?" Nick asked.

"I suppose you have done enough for me. You can go now." Richard said.

"What?" Nick and Judy said surprised.

"I can tell you don't want to do anything else for me. So, go on." Richard said as he makes a gesture.

"Um... okay." Nick said.

Nick and Judy were about to leave Richard to be by himself. It was pretty much what they wanted to do in the first place. Yet, part of themselves didn't want to leave yet. They felt that they wanted to know more about him. Especially about his singing.

"So, can you tell us more about your singing?" Nick asked Richard.

"Oh. You're actually still here." Richard said a bit surprised that Nick and Judy didn't leave.

"Did you always sing? Were you a singer?" Judy asked.

"To answer both your questions, yes and yes." Richard replied. "If there is one thing I remember at my age, it's..." Richard then changed to his singing voice. "... _how to siiiiiiiiiing_."

"Woah. You sound so different when you sing." Judy stated impressed.

"Hmph. A true singer knows how to keep his singing voice in peak shape even when they age." Richard stated boldly.

"Huh." Nick said impressed as well. "So, singing was something you always did."

"Yes. But it's a long story and I know you young'uns wouldn't care to listen." Richard stated.

"Heh! Clearly you don't know how some of us kids are." Nick said with a smirk.

"We two _young'uns_ would actually love to hear your story." Judy said with a smile.

"Heh. Alrighty. But don't say I didn't warn you." Richard said with a smile. "I was a young tod. About the age your papa probably is now. Maybe a bit younger. I was a handsome fox. A very very handsome fox."

Richard then went on to tell Nick and Judy he used to be club singer. He remembers the days when he had a band and performed for hundreds of mammals. He would get applause and encore countless times. He also said he wasn't too bad with the lady vixens. He would go on and on about his club days and Nick and Judy listened. They actually enjoyed hearing his stories.

Later, Richard showed Nick and Judy an old black and white photo of himself in his youth. He was in a suit and tie and looking very suave. He didn't even have on glasses and he was standing. He didn't need a wheelchair yet.

"Woah! This was you?!" Judy asked a bit stunned.

"That was me." Richard answered. "Told you I was a handsome tod."

"Wow. Black and white photo. Shows you how old you really are." Nick said making a joke.

"If I had a cane, I'd smack you with it, boy." Richard said to Nick angrily.

"Thank goodness you don't." Nick said relieved by that fact.

Nick and Judy were really starting to get along with Richard now. Compared to yesterday, they can manage with him much more.

"Mr. Grimey? I mean, Richard, you're... actually a nice old man, are you?" Judy asked.

Richard waited a few seconds before sighing. He then looked at Judy and spoke with her and Nick. "No one in this world is born bad. It's what happens in their life to make them turn that way."

"So, you aren't a mean old geezer?" Nick asked.

"Nick!" Judy shouted while bumping Nick's chest with her elbow.

"No, I am mean old geezer. But that doesn't mean I'm always one." Richard stated.

"Then why are you?" Nick asked as he rubbed his chest at the spot Judy elbowed him. "Did... something happen to you?"

"..." Richard was silent.

"I mean, you do live in this shelter now instead of a house or retirement home. So what happened?" Nick asked.

"I think it's time for you two to get going." Richard said as he looked away from Nick and Judy. "Your time is about up anyway."

"Oh, wait. Did I step too far for asking?" Nick asked feeling that he has overstepped. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. But you two really should go." Richard said as he started rolling away.

"Mr. Grimey, wait!" Judy said as she walks in front of Richard and getting him to stop. "We just to know so we can better understand you."

"You're still just young'uns. You wouldn't understand it even if you tried." Richard stated firmly.

"Then try us." Judy said just as firmly.

Richard looked at Judy and saw her determined face. He then slowly looked back at Nick and he had just a determined face as Judy. Richard decided to actually just tell them.

"Do you honestly believe I'm in this wheelchair because I woke up one morning and my legs weren't working? Well, you're wrong. And I'm not in this wheelchair because I'm old." Richard stated.

Nick and Judy felt a bit more stunned by what Richard said. After that, Richard just rolled away and Nick and Judy didn't say anything else to Nick and Judy. Nick and Judy didn't say anything either or tried to stop him. Did something happen to make Richard be in a wheelchair? What could have happened to him? For now, Nick and Judy didn't try to bother Richard anymore today. Besides, their 3 hours of charity work did pass for the day. So they decided to go.

Nick, Judy, and their friends got on the bus heading home. As they sat, Nick and Judy told their friends everything.

"So... the old fox wasn't always in that wheelchair?" Ronnie asked.

"Seems that way." Nick said while nodding.

"You think he was in an accident or something that caused him to get paralyzed?" Falisha asked.

"Or maybe something else happened to him. Something more serious." Finnick said in a serious tone. "He is a fox-like Nick and me after all."

"Finn, don't talk like that, man." Mervin said.

"Look, I'm just saying, I wouldn't be surprised if someone did something to him to make him be in a wheelchair. It was a darker time, after all." Finnick stated.

"He really didn't say anything else?" Mimi asked.

"I'm pretty sure he wouldn't even if we tried asking him now." Judy stated.

"Then maybe we need to find out on our own." Nick said as he thought about it.

"What do you mean?" Audran asked.

"He said he was a popular club singer. If that's the case, maybe I can do some digging." Nick suggested.

Later, everyone went into their homes for the day. Nick got on his computer and started it up. He clicked on the internet browser and went to a search site. On the search engine, he typed Richard Grimey to see if he would get any results. While the name was quite common, Nick found a fox with that name. So he knew it had to be 'Richard' Richard. As he clicked on the results, he read what he got. But as he scrolled down more and more, he was saddened by what he read.

"So that's why..." Nick uttered sadly.

The next day, it was the third and final day of the teens helping out in the Savanna Shelter. The group went and already knew where they were going. Nick and Judy wanted to talk with Richard again. Nick had already filled her in with what he knows about. Judy was saddened by what Nick told her and it made her wanted to talk with Richard about it even more.

Meanwhile, Falisha and Mimi went to the over the kitchen to meet up with the Swinworth triplets. It looked like the 3 pigs had something for them. Sal, Al, and Mal held up two white chef jackets for Falisha and Mimi.

"Wooooah! Are those..." Falisha and Mimi said as they looked at the chef jackets with all.

"Yep!" The Swinworth triplets said while nodding.

"You two helped us out so much that we decided to get these for you." Al said happily. "It's our little thank you for the last 2 days."

"We hope you like them." Mal said.

Falisha and Mimi took the chef jackets and looked at them in awe. They also notice that their names were stitched on the left side of them.

"Cool. Our names are even on them." Falisha said smiling.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh..." Mimi went as she shook in awe with sparks in her eyes. "This is just like the ones real chefs wear. Like my dad."

"Well, put them up. We hope the size is right." Sal said to Falisha and Mimi.

The two of them quickly put the chef jackets on. Both of theirs fitted them perfectly.

"These are great." Falisha said liking it.

"Yeah. Thank you so much." Mimi said happily.

"Now, let's get to cooking, _Chef_ Falisha and _Chef_ Mimi." Sal said while holding up a knife.

"Yes, sir." Falisha and Mimi said eagerly and determined.

During that time, Benji, Ronnie, and Audran were ready to help out Mr. and Mrs. Vine with supplies again. Except, it was only Mr. Vine. Mrs. Vine was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Mrs. Vine?" Benji asked Mr. Vine.

"She won't be here today. Doctor's order." Mr. Vine said.

"Doctor's order? Did something happened to her?" Ronnie asked looking worried.

"Did she pulled a muscle or something?" Audran asked also looking worried.

"No no. Nothing like that." Mr. Vine said calming the boys down. "To be frank, she shouldn't be working too much because of her... _condition._ "

"Condition?" The three boys said in confusion.

Exactly what kind of condition could Mrs. Vine be in to not be here, the boys thought. Then the three remembered that Mr. and Mrs. Vine told them that they were trying to have a child. Could that mean...

"Wait. Is she..." Benji asked.

"Yes. We're are going to be parents." Mr. Vine said smiling.

"O... M... GOODNESS!" Benji, Ronnie, and Audran shouted out in joy.

So Mrs. Vine was pregnant. That was she wasn't here.

"Congratulations!" Ronnie said happy for Mr. Vine. "You're gonna be great parents."

"Thank you. It might be the hardest job we may ever do. But we will do our best to raise our future little calf." Mr. Vine said.

"We wish you all the good luck." Audran said.

"You might want to save some of that luck for yourself." Mr. Vine told the boys. "Without the Mrs. here, you boys have a lot more work to do today. You'll also need to pick her workload."

"Great..." The three boys all went as they slouched down not looking too happy.

Meanwhile, with Finnick, he was actually enjoying time with talking to a group of mammals around the ages of 5 to 7. Finnick was teaching them something that they should value in life. Money.

"Remember, a penny saved is a penny earned. Never spend more than you already have." Finnick said to the children.

"Yes, Finnick!" The kids all said while nodding.

"Also, NEVER turn down a free meal from a friend. You will never know if that person will be your new best friend or if it will lead you to a bunch of new best friends." Finnick said.

"Yes, Finnick!" The kids all shouted out again.

"Now, run along." Finnick while tilting his head.

After the kids left, Finnick actually started to look emotionally happy.

"Those kids all gonna grow up to be mighty entrepreneurs one day." Finnick said looking happy.

"Is... that... a... tear?" Said Flash who happened to be there the whole time with a sly grin.

"S... shut up!" Finnick shouted out.

Meanwhile, Darson walked around the shelter, he was looking for Darlene. When he found her, he noticed that she was packing up what she had in a brown suitcase and backpack.

"Darlene?" Darson asked as he tilted his head.

Darlene heard the young coyote and turned around to face him.

"Oh. Darson. Hello again, Moon Lotus." Darlene said greeting him.

"Why are you packing up your things?" Darson asked.

"It would seem that fate is still all in my favor." Darlene said as she smiled. "I finally got approved for my own apartment."

"Woah! Really? That's amazing!" Darson said looking happy for Darlene.

"The place not much, but it's somewhere I can rest my weary head." Darlene stated. "Took a bit longer than I would have wanted, but..."

"Who cares so long as you got a place, right?" Darson asked.

"Right." Darlene said as shes put her backpack on. "I'm leaving today, so this will be the last day of me staying here. But don't worry. I'll still be in the city."

"That's good. It means that we can see each other again." Darson said smiling.

"Oh. Before I go..." Darlene said. She then took off her crystal pendant and put it around Darson's neck. "... I want you to have this. It's one of the last things I got from your mother."

"Your charka crystal pendant? I... don't think I can take this since you got it from my mom." Darson said sounding uneasy.

"Now now. It's was fate that we just happen to meet each other again. That... and I truly believe that your mom would have wanted me to give you these." Darlene stated. "You wouldn't want her to haunt you from the great beyond, would you?"

"Ah ha ha. I think I said something similar to one of my friends a long time ago." Darson said laughing and recalling that he said a similar thing to Nick when they were younger. "In that case, I'll take it. Thank you, Darlene."

"It was nice to finally get to know you and I hope it won't be long before we meet again." Darlene said as she places her paws on Darson's shoulders. "Take care, Moon Lotus."

Darson was pretty close to crying. Darson didn't really had many family members. But from knowing Darlene and the friendship she had with his mom, it was like she was his aunt. Darson then hugged her. Darlene happily the hug and hugged him back.

Now for Nick and Judy. The two still had to speak with Richard one more time. Like before, they found him alone in his wheelchair. They could tell that he was pretty sad. Even with what they knew, even if he wasn't going to say anything about it, they had to speak with him. The two slowly walked over to him.

"Mr. Grimey? Richard?" Nick asked.

Richard turned around and saw Nick and Judy.

"Of course it's you two again." Richard said.

"We know you don't want to talk about it, but..." Judy said before getting cut off.

"If this is about how I got to be in this wheelchair, I don't want to talk it. So drop it and go bother someone else." Richard said as he looked away from Nick and Judy.

Nick then let out a sigh before telling Richard what he knew.

"You know, old-timer, there is this thing called the internet. Ever heard about it?" Nick asked. "It has information on almost anything in the world. Including... info on certain people if they are famous enough. Like you."

Hearing that, Richard turn back to them with a surprised look on his face.

"So... you know?" Richard asked.

"We do. But we would still like to hear your side." Nick said.

Richard took a deep breath before speaking to Nick and Judy.

"Guess there was never a real way to avoid it." Richard said. "Call all your little friends and find me in 5 minutes. I'll tell you everything about what happened to me."

Seem like Richard was ready to talk about everything. A few minutes later, Nick and Judy called all their friends, as Richard requested, and they all sat in chairs in front of him. Once, everyone was here, Richard spoke to them.

"I've been alive for a long time. I've seen this city changed quite a lot and times were much different than they are now." Richard said. "I was a young fox with a normal childhood for a fox. I lived with my mom and dad, went to school, had one or two friends... if any. Ever since I was a young tod, I loved music and wanted to be a singer. My parents didn't like the idea and said I should just do a more stable job. But I wanted to prove I could make it happen."

"Sounds a lot like me." Judy stated.

"Unlike most foxes, I had a lucky break. I got an audition for the lead singer in a night club called _Tappers_. Of course, they didn't feel comfortable about a fox being the club's singer. But they said I had an angelic voice that was too good to pass down." Richard stated. "I later got that job and lived my dream. I performed every night at that club and loved each night as much as the next. I became pretty popular and even recorded a record or two."

"Sounds like you lived a pretty good life for a fox." Finnick said.

"That... was the problem. It was too good of a life for a fox to have." Richard said. "That's what a few mammals thought and NOT the good ones. A mole who wanted to be the club singer before me asked me to quit so he could take my spot. Of course, I told him off and said no. The mole wasn't too happy with my answer as he left. I thought that was it after that. But... clearly, I was going to be wrong."

The group could tell that the sad part of his story was coming. Nick and Judy already knew what happened, but not the other characters.

"What happened?" Falisha asked looking a bit scared that she asked.

"*sigh* I remember it all too well. It's something I can't forget... no matter how much I tried." Richard said sadly. "That night, I just finished a show and was on my way home. Then... a mixed group of mammals followed and surrounded me. One of them was the mole from before. Clearly he called his friends to 'teach me a lesson'. That's when... they all beat me senseless."

The kids all flinched when he said that. Everyone except for Nick and Judy. They already knew about that part.

"It wasn't that had a real reason to fight me or that I did something wrong. It was only because they believe that a fox shouldn't have anything good. I can still feel the punches, kicks, and hits with a stick. At least until I blacked out." Richard said shaking a bit.

"They really did that to you?" Ronnie asked.

"That's... horrible and inhumane." Falisha said looking sad.

"In my time, I wasn't the only one who suffered from something like that. Truth be told, I was only lucky to be alive after that night. Yet... when I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. When I tried to get up... I realized... I couldn't move my lower body." Richard said with a grim expression on his face. "That's when the doctor came in and told me... _that I would never be able to walk again._ "

There it was. The reason why Richard is in a wheelchair. He was actually beaten up so badly that he was paralyzed from the waist down. A sad thing for the group to hear.

"Oh my gosh. That's awful." Benji said trying not to cry.

"Those jerks actually hurt you so much that they caused you to lose the ability to walk?" Audran asked. "All because you were living your dream?"

"Grrr! Those guys must be the worst people in existence." Ronnie said angrily.

"Did they at least get those guys for what they did?" Finnick asked looking angry as well.

"Luckily, yes." Richard replied. "They even put them on trail. But it took longer than it should have."

"Longer than it should have? But with everything they did to you, it should have been an open-and-close case." Falisha stated.

"Believe me, those punks used every dirty trick in the book to try and get away. It also didn't help that I was a fox. But... eventually, after 1 week, which if I recalled was close to 2 weeks really, they were all convicted and sent to jail. If I recall that too, they all never got out either." Richard stated.

"Hmpt. Well, good." Finnick said looking firm, but relieved. "Mammals that would do something like that, don't even deserve bail."

"I agree with you there." Darson said to Finnick.

"It may have taken a while, but at least you got some justice, Mr. Grimey." Mimi stated.

" _Justice_? Do you call getting those conniving mammals locked up justice? I call it a hollow victory. My life was never the same after that." Richard stated. "Even with me not being able to stand or dance, I still sang. While my singing was the same, my soul wasn't in it. So after thinking hard about it, I decided to quit. Then... life really went downhill for me. You think it hard to get a new job as a fox? Try being a fox that's crippled. Some mammals even have the nerve to think you're lying about it. Why would I lie about THIS?" Richard's tone started to sound angrier and angrier. "I became a burden to my family because they have to take care of too often. Then as I get older and older and couldn't leave on my own anymore. So I later got put into a retirement home. But the funny thing about retirement homes. They don't tell you that getting old costs money. So I had to leave there too. Spending day after miserable day on the street until I made it here."

Richard really much had the worst life for anyone to live the way he had to. The teens really didn't know what they say. They just all had their heads down and were silent.

"Most people say to live as long as I have is a blessing. But with my life, it's a curse. Why live on if I have to keep suffering?" Richard asked tearfully. He then took a deep breath before speaking again. "With everything I've been through, I should have been dead long ago. Cause dying now... wouldn't be the worst thing for me."

Richard looked at the teens can tell that he really brought down their mood.

"Oh jeez. Looks like I really got you young'uns down with what I said." Richard said realizing that. "I mean, why should you kids care about the life of an old tod myself. It's not like you all had to deal with hardships like I did." He then looked at Nick. "Especially you, boy. A fox your age and this many friends, you never had to deal with any problems or woes. "

Richard could not be more wrong. Nick has had more than his share of problems. Nick then broke the silence from everyone else.

"I was only 9 when I got muzzled for being a fox." Nick said to Richard.

"What?" Richard said surprised to hear that.

"It's still the most traumatizing thing that's ever happened to me. The only reason why I was able to have a good life... was because of Judy. It's how I was able to make all these friends here." Nick said. "Yet... even if that moment's over, even if I forgave the boys who muzzled me, even if I'm friends with them now,... that moment still haunts me."

"Richard, we haven't been through as much as you have, but that doesn't we haven't had hard times." Judy stated. "Whether it was dealing with bullies..."

"... Going through a traumatizing experience, like Nick..." Mervin said.

"... being angry with the world because of what you are..." Finnick said.

"... almost losing a parent for something they didn't do..." Falisha said.

"... or losing a parent and thinking it was all your fault." Darson said.

"We all have problems in our life. Big and small. But in the end, we still had hardships the same as you." Audran stated.

"But that's how we all became friends." Ronnie said. "It's because of those hardships that we all understand each other."

"I'm still new to the group, but everyone here is the first real friends I've ever made. You must have been lonely for a long time. That's something I know." Mimi stated.

"See Richard, things may be different now, but some things didn't change. Like you, I'm still judged for being a fox. Things might not always go our way. But all we can do is live on and be hopeful that one day, things will be better." Nick stated. "At least that's what we think."

Richard looked at the group of teams. Never in his life that he has seen a group of friends like Nick has. It was so weird to see other mammals trust a fox so much. Richard's attention then went to Judy. He listened when Nick said he had a good life because of Judy. So he started to wonder...

"Nick, Judy, you two are together for real, aren't you?" Richard asked while raising an eyebrow.

"WHA... WHAT?!" Nick and Judy shouted red-faced.

Nick and Judy's friends assumed that they didn't want the old tod to know that they were a couple since they are different species.

"Sir, we have known Nick and Judy for years and we assure you..." Benji said trying to cover for them.

"Stop. I may be old and near-sighted, but I ain't dumb." Richard stated. "I could tell that these two really care about each other in a deep way."

"You can?" Nick asked looking surprised.

"I can and honestly, I'm okay with it." Richard said shrugging.

"But... we thought..." Judy said assuming he would be against it.

"Ehh. Truth be told, I fell in love with a bunny once upon a time." Richard admitted.

"... Wat?" The group of teens went completely stunned to hear that.

"Did you honestly believe these two were the first fox and rabbit to fall for each other?" Richard asked with a smirk.

"Actually, yes." Finnick replied.

"It was the bunny that nursed me back to health from my ordeal. She even saw a few of my shows. It was a different time, so I never acted on it." Richard stated. "Maybe one of my biggest regrets."

"Do you know if she's..." Judy said asking if this bunny was still alive today.

"She never married, but she's long gone now. So I'll never really know how things would have been." Richard stated.

"Oh." Judy said looking sad.

"Clearly, the younger generation knows when to take chances. So, I hope two can make each other happy at least." Richard said.

Nick and Judy looked at each other. The two really did make each other happy just being together. That's the important thing in a relationship.

"We do make each other happy." Judy said blushing a bit.

"Then... that's all that really matters in the end, right?" Richard asked.

"Right." Nick and Judy said smiling.

Richard then gave out a 'come here' gesture, wanting Nick and Judy to come a little closer. The fox and bunny then walked over to the old tod. He then slowly reached for Nick and Judy's foreheads and patted them.

"You two... are alright." Richard said with a smile. "You have a good set of friends and you two seem to bring the good in everyone. Clearly, since you wouldn't quit leaving me alone for the last few days."

"We kinda don't when to quit." Judy said proudly.

"More like she doesn't and she infected me with it." Nick said with a sly grin.

"You know you're fine with it." Judy said as she leans her head on Nick.

"Whatever." Nick said as he looking away blushing a bit.

"The compliment each other so well it's uncanny." Richard thought. "They are still so young, yet... it's like they were meant for each other."

A while later, the gang was about to take their leave. Everyone said their goodbyes and went outside. Except for Nick and Judy. They wanted to speak with Richard one last time.

"Richard, we hope that you take care of yourself." Judy said.

"Worry about yourself, little bunny. This old tod doesn't have many days in him anyway." Richard stated.

"Please. I wouldn't be surprised if you outlived us all since you're already so ancient." Nick stated joking around a bit.

"When I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last day we see each other." Richard said boldly.

"Hmm. Is that right?" Nick asked while raising an eyebrow.

Over the last few days, the three have formed a bit of a liking to each other. Nick and Judy were the first people Richard liked in such a long time. Yet, he still had his mean demeanor.

"What are you two still doing here? Scat! Run along now." Richard said to the kids.

"Fiiiine. See ya, old geezer." Nick said with a smirk as he walks off.

"Nick!" Judy said thinking he shouldn't call Richard that in front of him.

"Please, like he doesn't already know." Nick said to Judy.

As Richard watched Nick and Judy leave, he smiled.

"In the end, I'm happy that I was able to meet you two." Richard thought.

It was the next day and Nick was by himself as he was about to visit the Shelter again. After getting off the bus, Nick was a few minutes away from getting there.

"Heh heh! I beat the old geezer wouldn't expect to see me a 4th time." Nick thought with a sly look on his face.

As Nick walked by, he saw an ambulance vehicle drove by.

"An ambulance? Did something happen?" Nick thought.

He tried to let it bother him and walked over to the shelter. As he makes it insides, he sees quite a bit of the residence making a commotion. Most of them looked sad and upset. Some were even crying. It was a bit of a different mood than before.

"What's going on?" Nick asked himself. He then spotted Ms. Fay and walked over to her. "Ms. Fay, did something happen?"

Ms. Fay looked sadden as everyone else did.

"Nick... this morning, something **did** happen." Ms. Fay said with sadness.

At that moment, without even saying what, Nick already knew what Ms. Fay was going to tell him. And the reality of it hit Nick really hard. That moment, Richard Grimey had passed away in his sleep. He was over 94 years old... and now he was gone.

After finding that out, Nick went back home in a depressing matter. He even looked sad when he was playing with the twins. Seeing that his big brother was sad, Todd offered Nick his teething ring.

"Thanks, Toddy. But I'm good." Nick said trying to smile, even if it was a fake smile.

Nick then heard his mom call him.

"Nick, Judy's here." Frankie said.

Judy came into the room with a saddened look on her face. There were also signs on her face that she was crying a bit. It looks like she heard the news too. She walked to Nick and hugged his right arm as she sat with him.

"We shouldn't be sad. He... lived a long life." Judy told Nick.

"But not a good one." Nick replied. Nick then took something flat wrapped in gift paper. "Ms. Fay said he left this for me. Wanted me to have it."

"Open it up." Judy said to Nick.

Nick unwrapped the present as Judy, Todd, and Vicky watched. The wrapping revealed a box and opening the box, was cotton and a record.

"An old record?" Nick said as he takes the record out.

Todd and Vicky tilted their heads as they look at the record. They didn't know what they were looking at.

"An old record is how old people listened to music back in the day." Judy said explaining to Todd and Vicky.

"Mom! Pop!" Nick shouted out calling for his parents.

John then got out an old record player from the basement and set it up in the living room. He put the record into the player and carefully put the needle in the record. Nick held Todd, Judy held Vicky, and John and Frankie held each other as they waited for the record to play. They all started to hear a smooth melody play and angelic singing. Nick and Judy could tell it was Richard's voice.

"Is that... actually Mr. Grimey?" John asked.

"Yes." Judy said.

"He's actually a very good singer." Frankie said impressed.

"Yes, he was." Nick said smiling a bit.

The Wildes and Judy then continued to listen to the record.

 **Finally finished this chapter after too many days of working and my non-stop procrastination. Sorry, you all had to wait nearly 3 months. I really need to do better. Anyway, sorry for the semi-sad ending for this chapter. This chapter was a bit decided to my granddad. Last time my brother and I visited him he died less than a week after. We knew he was very sick, but we still felt that we should have seen him more. Anyway, after this chapter, no more chapters gloomy chapters for a while. Promise. Alright, that's all for now. Until the next chapter.**


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